Violet man tentatively ID’d as person found dead at 11 p.m. Tuesday in burning Ford Mustang on shoulder of Louisiana 46 Ext. in east St. Bernard; death not classified but is investigated as possible homicide

The burned-out Ford Mustang in which the body of Christopher Campbell, 28, of St. Bernard Parish was found late Tuesday, Oct. 30.[/caption]
A Violet man has been tentatively identified as the person found dead at 11 p.m. Tuesday in a burning Ford Mustang on the shoulder of Louisiana 46 Ext. in eastern St. Bernard Parish, sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The death hasn’t been officially classified but is being investigated as a possible homicide, the sheriff said.

A passerby called authorities to report a vehicle on fire on the roadway, nearly at the junction of the Florissant/Delacroix highways in eastern St. Bernard.

A sheriff’s deputy in the area went to the site and the parish Fire department extinguished the fire, officials said.

The body of a man, burned badly in the blaze, was found in the driver’s seat of what turned out to be a 2004 Ford Mustang.

The man has tentatively been identified as a being a resident of Violet but authorities haven’t made a positive I.D. pending the matching of dental records.

An autopsy was performed by the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, which St. Bernard Parish contracts with, but the death hasn’t been officially classified, Sheriff Pohlmann said. The death is being investigated as a possible homicide.

Anyone with information about what may have happened or knows if anyone else was involved should call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111 ir the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 and they may be eligible for a reward up to $2,500.

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Violet man identified as person found dead Tuesday night in burning Ford Mustang on side of Louisiana 46 Ext. in eastern St. Bernard; Death being investigated as a homicide; Call 271-2501 with information

A 28-year0old Violet man has been identified as the person found dead at 11 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, in a burning Ford Mustang on the shoulder of Louisiana 46 Ext. in eastern St. Bernard Parish, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

“We’re absolutely investigating this as a homicide,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said, but a cause of death wasn’t disclosed.

“This homicide is odd, very odd,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The deceased was identified as Christopher Campbell, who worked as at a car body shop and was known for his passion for working on cars and racing them, often with groups of fellow car enthusiasts, Pohlmann said.

He said Campbell had no criminal record and didn’t seem to run with a bad group.

But the area in eastern St. Bernard where Campbell’s 2004 special edition Ford Mustang was found on fire about 11 p.m. Tuesday night, Oct. 30, with him dead in the driver’s seat, “is known for street racing’’ by groups, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“We are wondering if (car racing) had anything to do with this homicide,’’ the sheriff said.

There are no known motives at this time, he said.

Anyone with information about what may have happened or knows if anyone else was involved should call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111 or the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 and they may be eligible for a reward up to $2,500.

A passerby called authorities to report a vehicle on fire on the shoulder road of Louisiana 46 Extension, nearly at the junction of the Florissant/Delacroix highways in easternmost St. Bernard.

A sheriff’s deputy in the area went to the site and the parish Fire Department arrived ad extinguished the blaze, which heavily burned the car from the rear forward, officials said.

The man found in the drivers; seat wasn’t determined to Campbell until Wednesday, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

An autopsy was performed by the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, which St. Bernard Parish contracts with.

It was the second homicide of the year I St. Bernard Parish.

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Man sentenced to life in prison for conviction of aggravated rape of a St. Bernard juvenile girl which happened in 1998; He was arrested after trying to reach her through a social networking site in 2009

A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison after a recent conviction for aggravated rape of a St. Bernard juvenile girl which happened in 1998.

John Jason Wallace, formerly of St. Bernard Parish, was sentenced to life on Monday, Oct, 29, by St. Bernard state District Judge Manny Fernandez, who presided over a trial in which Wallace was convicted by a jury on Oct. 25.

Wallace was found after the victim, now in her 20s, came forward to St. Bernard authorities in 2009, saying Wallace had sex with her in 1998 when she was a juvenile and that he had been recently trying to reach her recently through a social networking site.

Wallace was arrested in Shreveport in January 2010 on charges of obscenity and trespassing that were unrelated to the St. Bernard parish investigation. He was held on the arrest warrant from St. Bernard Parish alleging aggravated rape and was transferred for prosecution in St. Bernard in September 2010.

A St. Bernard judge signed the warrant of arrest following an investigation by sheriff’s detectives, including seeing emails sent by Wallace to the woman’s social networking site in which Wallace wanted to re-connect with her, Sheriff James Pohlmann said at the time of Wallace’s arrest.

The woman, who still lives in St. Bernard Parish, said she was sexually abused by Wallace numerous times when she was 10 years old and he was living in the parish, Pohlmann said.

Maj. Darlene Poche, head of the St. Bernard sheriff’s Juvenile Division which investigated the case once the woman came forward at the end of 2009, said the victim was scared by Wallace’s attempts to reach out to her through her social networking site. St. Bernard sheriff’s Sgt. Michelle Canepa of the Juvenile Division handled the investigation of the Wallace case.

Wallace has been held in St. Bernard Parish Prison since he was transferred to the parish for prosecution in 2010.

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Woman booked with cruelty to the infirmed after allegedly slapping and pulling a 17-year-old from a wheelchair she is confined to, causing her to fall

A Violet woman was booked with cruelty to the infirmed after allegedly slapping a 17-year-old girl and pulling her from a motorized wheelchair she is confined to, causing the teen-ager to fall to the floor, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Sheila Banks, 48, 6310 Fourth St., was arrested on Monday, Oct. 29, by St. Bernard sheriff’s detectives following up an investigation of an incident that happened Oct. 24, Sherirff Pohlmann said. Cruelty to the infirmed is a felony.

Banks is the guardian of the 17-year-old and they live at the same address, which is where the incident happened, the sheriff said.

There was an argument between Banks and the teen-ager, sheriff Pohlmann said, during which the teen allegedly cursed Banks and Banks slapped her face. Banks later also allegedly pulled the girl from the motorized wheelchair she is confined to, causing her to fall to the floor.

Also, the 17-year-old uses a breathing device which at some point was detached from her trachea, the sheriff also said.

Sheriff Pohlmann said the teen went to school the next day, Oct. 25, and school officials reported to the Sheriff’s Office that day that there had been incident involving her.

The girl was later examined at a hospital as a precaution and was later released.

Banks has been released on $7,500 bond after she was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison.

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Mentoring group The Girls’ Circle invites girls 10-14 to join; focuses on respect for others and themselves

Tiara Howlett of Chalmette, who works for parish government, said she saw a need for the mentoring of girls in St. Bernard Parish, which would emphasize respect for themselves and others.

The result is what she calls The Girls’ Circle, for girls 10-14, which started in August.

They meet at a parish gym to play games and talk, focusing on things such as not participating in bullying of others or talking about others behind their backs.

“It seemed like something we needed,’’ Howlett said. “Things are different from when I grew up and they need to know the right thing to do.’’

The group of about 10 girls held a Halloween costume party on Saturday, Oct. 27, and Sheriff James Pohlmann and Parish President David Peralta were guests, talking to the them about their interests and answering questions.

Parents or guardians interested in their girls joining can call Howlett at (504) 812-7872 or email her at [email protected].

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Sheriff’s Office to have extra patrols for Halloween night and is giving safety tips for trick-or-treaters

As it has for years, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office will step up DWI and traffic enforcement on Halloween night, Oct. 31, for the protection of trick-or-treating children and adult party-goers, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

“Motorists are asked to slow down, be extra cautious and be especially watchful for pedestrians,’’ the sheriff said.

He said there will be extra patrols on highways and in neighborhoods to enforce DWI laws and traffic laws. Drivers should also look for possible road blocks in neighborhoods.

Capt. Charles Borchers, director of community relations and the Neighborhood Watch programs for the Sheriff’s Office, emphasized that, “Children and their parents who are trick-or-treating should be especially careful in areas where there are still vacant properties,’’ in St. Bernard since Hurricane Katrina.

Numerous streets have been under repair in the parish and lighting may be bad in some areas, Borchers said.

Here are some other Halloween safety tips offered by the Sheriff’s Office:

– Make sure children understand to never enter a stranger’s home, and when trick-or-treating is over no goodies should be eaten until they are taken home and sorted out to check that they are safe.

– Plan to wear costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure shoes fit well and costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame. Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.

– Also, when shopping for costumes, wigs or accessories, purchase only those with a label indicating they are flame-resistant

– Secure emergency identification, such as your child’s name, address, and phone number, discreetly within Halloween attire or on a bracelet. Consider using makeup rather than masks since masks can limit or block visibility.

– Provide each child with a flashlight or battery-powered lantern with fresh batteries

– Always travel in groups and make sure a parent or responsible adult accompanies young children on their neighborhood rounds.

– Make sure children know their home phone number or a parent’s cell phone number and khow to call 911 if they have an emergency or become lost.

– Only trick-or-treat in well-known neighborhoods at homes that have a lit porch light.

– Secure pets at home so they don’t get excited or run away when children come to your residence looking for treats.

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S.O. got 19 boxes of records of St. Bernard Parish government from a storage facility after applying for a search warrant from a judge; Request based on information provided by parish government

The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed Thursday it retrieved 19 boxes of records of parish government from a Chalmette storage facility after applying for a search warrant from a state court judge, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Application for the warrant was based on information provided by parish government employees and the search was carried out Tuesday, Oct. 23 at a storage facility in the 8400 block of West Judge Perez Drive, the sheriff said.

Sheriff Pohlmann said those records were given Thursday afternoon to the U.S. Justice Department in response to a subpoena issued in the case of the Justice Department’s civil rights lawsuit pending against St. Bernard Parish government.

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Chalmette ferry after an accident Friday morning

Passengers, some out of their vehicles, wait to be allowed off of a ferry boat at the Chalmette dock about 10:45 a.m. Friday after the boat reportedly lost power crossing the Mississippi River and grazed a docked barge before stopping at the ferry dock. Several passengers said they were shaken up in the incident but none required being taken to a hospital, officials said. Photo by the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office.

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Sheriff’s Office to put fliers on doors of registered sex offenders and check on them Halloween night to make clear state law prohibits them giving candy to kids; Parents should keep minors from homes with the flier

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Detective Lt. Richard Mendel places a flier on the door of a registered sex offender in October 2011 to remind them they are prohibited by law from giving out candy or gifts to minors on Halloween.

This is the flier St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputies are placing on the door of all 74 registered sex offenders in the parish, reminding them state law doesn’t let them give minors candy or gifts on Hallooween. Sheriff James Pohlmann said.parents or escorts of treat-or-treaters shouldn’t let yougsters go to a door bearing the flier on Halloween.

St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann said all convicted, registered sex offenders in the parish will get a visit from sheriff’s deputies before Halloween and again on that night. And it won’t be to give them a trick-or-treat.

A flier will be placed on the door of all registered sex offenders starting Thursday, Oct. 25, to remind them, Sheriff Pohlmann said, that under state law they can’t distribute candy or other gifts to persons under the age of 18 at Halloween, Mardi Gras, Easter, Christmas or any other holiday for which candy is often given out to minors.

The flier says no candy can be given at that door.

Pohlmann said, “We will also have deputies out the night of Halloween making compliance checks to ensure minors aren’t at the doors of sex offenders and being given candy.” If the person who is a registered sex offender is seen mingling with children at their door they will be arrested.’

“This is something we take seriously,’’ the sheriff said. “The law is there to protect minors from coming in contact with a registered sex offender at their home, in the guise of them giving them something.”

He said violators of the law shall be sentenced to a term in prison of not less than six months and up to three years.

Sheriff Pohlmann also said parents or escorts walking with minors as they trick-or-treat should make sure children avoid residences where fliers may be posted saying candy isn’t being given out there.

St. Bernard currently has about 70 registered sex offenders living in the parish. “Every parish has registered sex offenders and parents should be aware of this,’’ the sheriff said.

He said no law says a flier like the one the Sheriff’s Office puts out each Halloween has to be left on a door by the resident throughout Halloween night.

But Sheriff Pohlmann said he would prefer a registered sex offender did keep the flier on their door “for their benefit as well as for the benefit of minors,’’ because they will be arrested if a deputy passes back on Halloween and they are mingling with children at their door.

Compliance checks by the Sheriff’s Office also make sure the registered sex offender is living at the address they last gave to authorities when they either moved into the parish or changed their address.

Pohlmnn said the OffenderWatch program on registered sex offenders across Louisiana informs the public where the offenders live in neighborhoods and gives information on their convictions. The information can be found on the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Web Site at www.sbso.org or on the Louisiana State Police Web Site. The local site is maintained in St. Bernard Parish by Detective Capt. Jeff Roderfeld.

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Teen-age boy escaped St. Bernard Juvenile Detention Center on Sunday but was caught on a near-by street and had cuts from climbing fences to get out; 2nd teen tried to escape but was stopped without getting out

A 16-year-old New Orleans male escaped the St. Bernard Parish Juvenile Detention Center in Chalmette on Sunday afternoon but was caught about an hour later on a Chalmette street several blocks away, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The teen, who was being held in a carjacking incident in Chalmette more than a year ago, climbed several fences just before 6 p.m. to escape during a period he and other youths were allowed out of the detention center building on Paris Road. The JVC is next to the adult Parish Prison.

The boy was found and taken into custody about an hour later, several blocks away, in the 300 block of West Grand Hommes.

Sheriff Pohlmann said the escapee, whose name wasn’t released because he is still a minor, suffered several lacerations from climbing the fences to get out and he was taken to University Hospital for medical treatment and later returned to the Juvenile Detention Center.

Also, in the same incident a second detainee at the detention center, a 14-year-old boy, attempted to escape with the other teen-ager but didn’t make it out before he was stopped. That boy is from the Opelousas area and was being held for an agency from that area, the sheriff said.

A second teen-ager, a 14-year-old male, attempted to escape but didn’t get out, the sheriff said.

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