New St. Bernard businesses urged to use Sheriff’s free Business Watch program to alert them about emergencies; Established companies which have lost their I.D. decal can call 278-7628 for new one

It’s a win/win situation for St. Bernard Parish businesses when they register with the Sheriff’s Office’s free Business Watch program which uses an identification decal on a storefront for deputies to know who to contact during an after-hours emergency at a business site.

Sheriff James Pohlmann said business operators can be assured the Sheriff’s Office will use contact information on the decal to reach them if they are needed to come out to secure their building.

“Reasons for us needing to reach someone after normal business hours,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said, “could include a burglary or act of vandalism discovered by a deputy on patrol, weather-related damage or perhaps an electrical outage that could affect a business’ perishable goods.”

The sheriff added, “If you have any type commercial storefront we want you to participate to help keep your business safe and secure.”

Also, established companies which have lost the I.D. decal for their storefront can call the Sheriff’s Office for a new one.

With a number of businesses having opened in St. Bernard Parish in the last year a push is being made by the Sheriff’s Office to ensure all commercial enterprises, including any that are changing locations, register their contact information to keep the Business Watch program up to date.

To register a new business or get a replacement I.D. decal, call Capt. Charles Borchers, head of Community Relations for the Sheriff’s Office, at (504) 278-7628 or Lt. Billy Cure, who deals directly with companies in the Business Watch program, at (504) 583-9840.

St. Bernard, which had more than 2,500 businesses before Hurricane Katrina, has built back to an estimated 900 and all of them should be a part of the Business Watch program in case anything happens after normal working hours.

Business Watch was created by the Sheriff’s Office in the 1990s, part of the crime prevention program.

Borchers said the Sheriff’s Office will come out and get contact information and place a decal on a business, giving it an I.D. number that is cross-referenced to an information sheet kept on file with the sheriff’s Communication Division.

A deputy on patrol who comes upon a burglary or other type problem at a business, calls in the I.D. number to the Communications Division which gets in touch with the business’ after-hours contact people. They may be asked to meet with the deputy at the business to take actions needed to secure the building, Borchers said.

Cure said, “All information supplied is confidential and wouldn’t be released to anyone.’’

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Suspect arrested, one man he killed and another he injured in Chalmette all were involved in a major methamphetamine conspiracy, Sheriff Pohlmann says; 10 lbs. of meth worth $500,000 found by S.O.

Jorge Ramirez inside the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Detective offices.

Jorge Ramirez, 17, arrested in killing of one man and injuring of another, walks into the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Detective offices Tuesday night, trailed by Sheriff’s Deputy Henry Senez. Oct. 2. S

A 17-year male suspect arrested in the killing of one man and injuring of another in Chalmette on Tuesday, Oct. 2, were all involved in a major methamphetamine conspiracy, St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann said Wednesday.

More than 10 pounds of meth in various forms, with a total street value of $500,000, has been recovered by the Sheriff’s Office – the largest seizure of meth ever in the parish, the sheriff said. More than $32,000 in cash was also found.

Sheriff Pohlmann said, “The motive for the killing was to steal the narcotics’’ that had been brought to Chalmette for safekeeping as it was being distributed in the New Orleans area.

Involved were three Hispanic males, the sheriff said: a survivng victim who had been living in the Violet area for some time; his brother who was shot to death and a third man – the attacker – who had recently moved to a half-double at 8526 Regiment St. in Chalmette with the man he shot to the back of head as the man slept in the residence early Tuesday morning.

All are believed to be undocumented aliens who entered the country years ago.

Jorge Ramirez, 17, of the Red Springs, N.C. area who had been staying in Chalmette only weeks, has been booked with first-degree murder of Leandro Morales De La Cruz, 32, who he had known for years in the Red Springs, N.C. area and had traveled to Chalmette together with to be near De La Cruz’s brother.

Ramirez also was booked with attempted first-degree murder of Martin De La Cruz, 26, brother of the murder victim who lived in Violet. Ramirez is jailed in St. Bernard Prison with no bond set.

Martin De La Cruz was booked into St. Bernard Prison with possession with intent to distribute meth. He was arrested after he was released from a hospital where taken after he was struck in the head with an object by Ramirez when he tried to enter the residence on Regiment where Ramirez was lying in wait for him after killing the older brother there, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

A gun believed used to kill Leandro De La Cruz was recovered by sheriff’s detectives. Several objects, including a hammer and part of a car jack, which could have been used to injure the other brother were also found, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

It was believed the murder victim and Ramirez came to Chalmette to help Martin De La Cruz in an ongoing drug business including the meth, said the sheriff and Maj. Chad Clark, head of the sheriff’s Narotics Unit.

The sheriff told a news conference Wednesday, “He (Ramirez) confessed to killing one, trying to kill the other, taking the dope and intending to go back to North Carolina.”” He added that Ramirez “had the full intention of killing the man who was injured as he did that man’s brother.’’

Narcotics is a dangerous business, Sheriff Pohlmann said. “If law enforcement doesn’t get you, the Devil will. The Devil in this case was Ramirez.”

It was the first murder in St. Bernard Parish this year and the first shooting murder since January 2009.

“We don’t get much violent crime in St. Bernard Parish,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “When something does happen we are proud of our reccrd in generally finding the culprit in a fairly short period of time, such as in this case.’’

The murder suspect doesn’t have a prior criminal record in the United States that has been uncovered, the sheriff said. But he noted the killer shot in cold-blood a friend he had known for years as the other man slept, adding that says something about the 17-year-old.

Sheriff Pohlmann also said the drug investigation is continuing and said he couldn’t provide more details at this time.

Ramirez, who is from Mexico but had been living in North Carolina for years, is believed to have shot Leandro De La Cruz in the early morning hours of Oct. 2 and later tried to kill Martin De La Cruz when he came to the door looking for his brother who was dead inside.

Ramirez was arrested while hiding under a shed less than seven hours after Martin De La Cruz was found bleeding outside the Regiment Drive residence where he had been beaten on Tuesday.

The murder suspect had been under the shed in the 8500 block of Deerfield St., just a block behind the house where the murder victim was found. Ramirez had been there for several hours, the sheriff said.

Sheriff Pohlmann said it was puzzling why the surviving victim was struck with an object instead of shot as his brother was. But the sheriff said Ramirez admitted he didn’t shoot him because neighbors were outside in the area of the Regiment Street residence at the time and he thought they might hear shooting.

Apparently, no one heard the shooting of the man who was killed or just didn’t report it.

The Sheriff’s Office was called to the 8500 block of Regiment Drive just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, when the injured man, bloodied to the head and chest, ran down the block seeking help.

He didn’t say which house he had come from but a sheriff’s deputy on the scene found blood that led back to one particular residence where blood was on the ground in the driveway. Inside, the murder victim was found.

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Suspect arrested in killing of one man and injuring another in a Chalmette residence on Tuesday

A 17-year male suspect was arrested hiding under a shed less than seven hours after man was killed and another man was injured in an incident Tuesday in a residence in the 8500 block of Regiment Dr. in Chalmette, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The suspect, whose name hasn’t been released, will be booked with one count of first-degree murder in the death of a man who was either living at or staying in a double in the 8500 block of Regiment Drive, which is near Patricia Drive in Chalmette, the sheriff said. An autopsy will determine how the victim was killed.

The suspect, who is from Mexico, was found about 5:45 p.m. hiding under a shed in the 8500 block of Deerfield St., just a block behind the house where the murder victim was found, the sheriff said. No motive for the killing has been released.

A 3 p.m, news conference will be held Wednesday at which more information will be discussed, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“We don’t get much violent crime in St. Bernard Parish,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “When something does happen we are proud of our reccrd in generally finding the culprit in a fairly short period of time, such as in this case.’’

St. Bernard hasn’t had a homicide in more than a year, when Both the murder victim and the injured man, whose name also hasn’t been released, are believed to be undocumented illegals staying in Chalmette, the sheriff said.

The injured man, was taken to a hospital in New Orleans in serious condition, suffering from apparent blunt force trauma to the head.

The Sheriff’s Office was called to the 8500 block of Regiment Drive just after 11 a.m. when the injured man, bloodied to the head and chest, ran down the block seeking help. He is believed to e in his 30s.

He didn’t say which house he had come from but a sheriff’s deputy on the scene found blood that led back to one particular residence where blood was on the ground in the driveway. Inside, a man believed to be in his 20s was found dead, said Sheriff Pohlmann.

The cause of death has not been classified at this time pending an autopsy and the identities of both victims have not been released.

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One man killed and another man injured in incident in Chalmette

One man was killed and another man was injured in an incident Tuesday in a residence in the 8500 block of Regiment Dr. in Chalmette.

Sheriff James Pohlmann said no arrests have been made. The injured man was taken to a hospital and is in serious condition apparently suffering blunt force trauma to the head, which is believed to have happened in the incident around 11am, said Sheriff Pohlmann.

The cause of death has not been classified at this time pending an autopsy and the identities of both victims have not been released. The man who was killed is believed to be in his twenties, while the man who was injured is believed to be in his thirties.

No arrests of been made at this time. More information will be available on Wednesday, said Sheriff Pohlmann.

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Woman and man booked in separate break-ins and attempts; Another man arrested with 12 bags of suspected cocaine, 10 bags of marijuana and 56 pills

Jason Cantrell, booked two counts of attempted vehicle burglary.

Crystal Nunez, booked with burglary and attempt; gave one victim four pills left from a drug-buying binge after stealing $350 cash from a house.

A Violet woman was booked with one house burglary and one attempt after stealing money she allegedly used to purchase drugs and when confronted by a victim gave him four pills she said was left from her drug-buying binge, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Separately, another man was booked with two attempted burglary counts after he was caught trying to break into vehicles on a Chalmette street.

Also, a New Orleans man was arrested with 12 bags of suspected cocaine, 10 bags of marijuana and 56 prescription pills after an investigation of a reckless driving complaint in Chalmette, the sheriff said.

Crystal Nunez, 30, 2325 Gen. Pershing St., Violet, was booked with burglary of a neighbor’s residence and an attempted break-in recently and is being held in St. Bernard Prison in lieu of bond set at $30,000.

Nunez admitted stealing $350 cash from a neighbor’s house Sept. 21 after going into the home, and told both the victim and a sheriff’s deputy she had spent the money on a drug-buying binge, Sheriff Pohlmann said. The woman had given four of the pills to the victim, saying it was what was left from the money she stole.

Also, Nunez was booked with an attempted house burglary during the same time period after a witness identified her as being on the porch of the house where the attempted break-in occurred and said he chased her away because he knew the resident wasn’t home, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Also, Jason Cantrell, 29, 2805 Campagna Drive, Chalmette, was booked Sept. 24 with two counts of attempted burglary of vehicles when residents saw him pulling on door handles trying to get inside, breaking one truck door handle.

Witnesses saw Cantrell enter his home after the attempted burglaries and called the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cantrell as he fled out the rear of the residence.

Cantell is jailed in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Also, Maurice Williams, 24, 12961 McRaven Court, New Orleans, was booked on a number of drug charges recently when he was found with them during an investigation of a reckless driving complaint.

Sheriff’s deputies found 3.2 grams of suspected cocaine packaged in 12 separate bags, nearly three ounces of marijuana packaged in 10 separate bags, and 56 prescription pills in a bottle, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Williams was booked with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and three counts of possession of the three types of pills.

Williams was being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of $65,000 bond.

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