All bridges out of St. Bernard Parish are now open, as well as the Violet Canal bridge in the parish; Sheriff says no injuries or damages have been reported because of weather conditions

A sheriff’s patrol car is shown parked on East Judge Perez Drive on the western side approach to the bridge over the Violet Canal when it was closed Wednesday morning because of icing. Traffic was allowed back on the bridge in the afternoon.

A grassy area is iced over against a fence on Galleon Drive in Chalmette on Wednesday morning after a frigid night. A hard freese is expected Wednesday night before it begins warming up on Thursday.

All bridges out of St. Bernard Parish have been re-opened, as well as the Violet Canal bridge on East Judge Perez Drive in the parish, and Sheriff James Pohlmann said no injuries or damages have been reported because of weather conditions.

The Paris Road bridge over the MR-GO was the last bridge to re-open Wednesday afternoon when one lane each way was opened after the bridge had been closed since Tuesday night.

The Judge Seeber bridge on Claiborne Avenue and the Florida Avenue bridge were re-opened Wednesday, along with the Violet Canal bridge on East Judge Perez Drive. Sheriff’s deputies had remained on both sides of the Violet Canal bridge while it was closed to ensure no one would try to cross it in the icy conditions, the sheriff said.

The St. claude Avenue bridge had stayed open Tuesday night.

Sheriff Pohlmann said that a from a public safety viewpoint the parish fared as well as possible in the freezing conditions.

There weren’t any injuries or property damage reported as a result of the bad weather.

“St. Bernard residents responded well to recommendations that they stay off roadways unless absolutely necessary,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said of the hazardous conditions that existed when it was sleeting late Tuesday afternoon.

A hard freeze is expected again Wednesday night, officials of the National Weather Service said. It should warm gradually Thursday morning.

Administrative offices of the Sheriff’s Office at the annex building will re-open Thursday after being closed Tuesday and Wednesday, the sheriff said.

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Registered sex offender on probation for burglary arrested for 4 more burglaries and 1 attempt at camps and a business in eastern St. Bernard

A registered sex offender on probation for burglary has been arrested for four more burglaries and one attempt at camps and a business in eastern St. Bernard and is also suspected in a series of other recent break-ins in the eastern part of the parish, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Kenneth Rabalais Jr., 29, 3316 LaPlace Drive, Apt. B, Chalmette, was arrested Jan. 28 and has been booked with three burglaries of camps, one attempted burglary of a camp and the burglary of a grocery store, all in the easternmost part of the parish, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

A fax machine stolen in a camp burglary was recovered by sheriff’s detectives in a search of Rabalais’ residence and he has admitted burglarizing that camp and to attempting to break into a camp on Monday night, Jan. 27, the sheriff said.

Rabalais is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison and will appear before a magistrate judge on Thursday to have bond set.

Rabalais had been questioned in connection with a recent series of break-ins but hadn’t been booked until after the owner of a camp on at Delacroix Island reported his video camera there had captured an image of a man trying to break in on Monday night, the sheriff said.

Rabalais was identified from the video and brought in. That was the basis of the attempted burglary count and he has been booked with the other four burglaries.

Rabalais is a registered sex offender, convicted in 2006 of indecent behavior with a juvenile.

He is also on probation for burglary and has a lengthy criminal history for burglary, officials said.

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Weather Update in St. Bernard Parish

Watch for further Updates on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or its web site at www.sbso.org and at St. Bernard Parish government’s Facebook page or its web site at www.sbpg.net

All bridges out of St. Bernard Parish except on St. Claude Avenue are now closed as well as the Violet Canal bridge in the parish; Residents urged to stay off roadways

Jan. 28, 2014 – All bridges out of St. Bernard Parish except on St. Claude Avenue are now closed as well as the Violet Canal bridge on East Judge Perez Drive in the parish as of 6 p.m. because of icy weather, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The Louisiana National Guard and the state DOTD are working to keep open the St. Claude bridge, the sheriff said, and the Paris Road bridge over the MR-GO is open only for emergency vehicles.

Other bridges out of the parish including on Claiborne Avenue and Florida Avenue are closed.

As well as the bridges, the state DOTD reports Chalmette ferry service is suspended.

“Residents are urged to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “Ice build-up is making it extremely dangerous to travel.’’

Freezing temperatures and icing is expected through Wednesday night and icing has formed already in many areas of St. Bernard Parish.

Off and on rains are expected through Tuesday evening and as temperatures continue to drop highways and bridges could become frozen over.

Sheriff Pohlmann and other top sheriff’s officials participated in two telephone conferences with the National Weather Service on Tuesday in which officials said temperatures will remain below freezing through Wednesday night before warming Thursday.

The Sheriff’s Office administrative offices are closed through Wednesday but residents should continue to call 911 or (504) 271-2501 for any emergencies including reporting crime,

St. Bernard Parish government’s Office of Emergency Preparedness is operating and can be reached at (504) 278-4268.

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DOTD reports multiple lane closures due to winter weather salting operations

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces the following lane closures,for salting operations. These bridges will operate with one lane open throughout the event.

Motorists are urged to stay off the roads whenever possible and use extra caution if traveling during hazardous weather conditions.

Orleans Parish

• U.S. 90 (Danziger Bridge)

• La. 39 (Judge Seeber/Claiborne Avenue Bridge)

• Ted Hickey (Seabrook/Leon C. Simon Bridge)

Motorists can access the latest updates on real-time traffic and road conditions using the 511 Traveler Information System by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region on which they are seeking information. Out-of-state travelers can call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information Web site at www.511la.org.

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Sheriff Pohlmann advises residents to stay off roadways if possible because of weather conditions Tuesday: Freezing rain forecast and could be closings of area bridges because of icing;

Watch for weather updates on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page

Sheriff James Pohlmann is advising residents to stay off roadways if possible Tuesday because of anticipated sleeting and freezing conditions and to expect possible closings of area bridges because of icing.

“Residents should be careful of bad weather conditions predicted for Tuesday, including sleeting and freezing that could lead to dangerous streets,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. The National Weather Service has called for a Winter Storm alert beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday and predicted freezing rains could start by mid-morning on the South Shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

Icing on tree limbs could also lead to problems with electrical lines, causing power outages, the sheriff said.

Administrative offices of the Sheriff’s Office in the annex building on Packingham Drive behind the Parish Courthouse will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Anyone with an emergency of any type can call 911 or the Sheriff’s Office number at (504) 271-2501.

“The Sheriff’s Office will be prepared to respond to any problems,’’ including traffic control if red lights go out because of power problems, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The sheriff said area bridges could be affected by icing, although the state said efforts are being made to keep open the Paris Road bridge in New Orleans over the MR-GO connecting St. Bernard Parish to eastern New Orleans, which was closed some 18 hours Friday night and Saturday because of icing and a 20-vehicle pile-up.

St. Bernard sheriff’s deputies remained at the approach of the bridge after that accident, handling traffic and turning it back to St. Bernard because of the bridge closure. St. Bernard Parish firefighters were also on the scene Friday night after the accident, helping victims of the crashes on the bridge, along with emergency medical service personnel from New Orleans.

Bridges over the Industrial Canal in New Orleans, including the Claiborne Avenue bridge, the St. Claude Avenue bridge and the Florida Avenue bridge could also be affected by icing on Tuesday.

Freezing temperatures are expected on Wednesday also, with warmer weather on Thursday.

In St. Bernard, the Violet Canal bridge on East Judge Perez Drive and smaller bridges will be monitored.

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Chalmette man wanted for beating a woman he knew with a pull-up bar arrested in Lafourche Parish and returned to St. Bernard; Also, 2 men arrested for possession of $2,000 in stolen copper

John Lyerly, also booked with possession of stolen copper wire.

Norman Clark, booked with possession of $2,000 worth of stolen copper wire

Marcel McCormick: Marcel McCormick, booked with aggravated battery for beating a woman he knew with a metal pull-up bar until she was unconscious and was hospitalized.

A Chalmette man wanted for beating a woman he knew with a metal pull-up bar and then fleeing was arrested in Lafourche Parish and has been returned to St. Bernard Parish Prison, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Marcel McCormick, 42, whose last address was on Chalmette Avenue, was located by a U.S. Marshal’s Service fugitive task force to which a St. Bernard sheriff’s detective is assigned.

McCormick was wanted on arrest warrants alleging felony aggravated second-degree battery and domestic battery in the Jan. 4 beating of a 47-year-old Chalmette woman he had lived with, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

She said McCormick attacked her in their home during an argument.

The woman was struck with a metal pull-up bar to her head, face and rib area, knocking her out, the sheriff said.

She said when she regained consciousness, McCormick had gone to sleep, allowing her to escape and drive to her mother’s residence in Chalmette and call 911. She was hospitalized for treatment and released several days later.

Sheriff’s deputies looked for McCormick but he had fled the home.

Warrants for his arrest were obtained from a judge and a U.S. Marshal’s fugitive task force learned he was in Lafourche Parish, where he was arrested Jan. 23 with the assistance of local authorities.

McCormick was returned to St. Bernard Parish Prison for prosecution on Jan. 25. He is being held in lieu of bonf set Monday at $25,000.

In an unrelated case, two New Orleans men were arrested Jan. 21 for possession of stolen things, which was about $2,000 worth of copper wire taken in a business burglary in New Orleans Jan. 17, The items were scrapped the same day at a Chalmette scrap metal dealer, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Norman Clark, 61, 2805 Law St., and John Lyerly, 52, no address available, were arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at the Chalmette scrap dealership when they returned on Jan. 21 to sell other metals, Sheriff Pohlmann said. Clark had sold the scrap metal identified as stolen on Jan 17 and Lyerly was with him at the time, according to a Sheriff’s Office report on the arrests.

Harbor Police were investigating a burglary of the copper wire from a marine business on France Road in New Orleans, which happened early Jan. 17, and the copper was recovered at the scrap metal dealership in Chalmette later that morning. The stolen property has been returned to the owners, the sheriff said.

Clark, booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison, has been released on bond of $7,500. Lyerly is jailed in lieu of $7,500 bond.

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Paris Road bridge over the MR-GO connecting St. Bernard Parish to eastern New Orleans has been re-opened

The Paris Road bridge over the MR-GO connecting St. Bernard Parish to New Orleans re-opened Saturday afternoon after tow trucks from the City of New Orleans towed vehicles from a 26-car pile-up that happened Friday night which had closed the bridge overnight and during the day, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The bridge, which is in Orleans Parish but connects St. Bernard Parish to eastern New Orleans, was re-opened after debris was cleared from the north-bound side where the accidents happened, the sheriff said.

St. Bernard sheriff’s deputies remained at the approach of the bridge since the accident, handling traffic and turning it back to St. Bernard because of the bridge closure.

Sheriff Pohlmann was on the scene periodically and said the department would keep a presence there to maintain safety until the bridge was re-opened to traffic.

St. Bernard Parish firefighters were also on the scene Friday night after the accident, helping victims of the crashes on the bridge, along with emergency medical service personnel from New Orleans.

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Paris Road bridge connecting St. Bernard Parish to eastern New Orleans closed in both directions Friday night because of icing and an accident; Judge Perez Drive overpass over the Violet Canal

Sheriff James Pohlmann said the Paris Road bridge connecting St. Bernard Parish to eastern New Orleans was closed indefinitely Friday night in both directions because of icing and an accident.

The sheriff said the East Judge Perez Drive overpass over the Violet Canal is also icing.

Motorists should be cautious about driving as temperatures drop and freeze roadways already affected by rain.

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Two N.O. men with criminal records booked with armed robbery of a Chalmette store; Search of getaway car reveals money and search of their home turns up a fake pistol, knife, masks and gloves

Demar Jackson, booked with armed robbery.

Ronnie Morgan, booked with armed robbery of a store in Chalmette

Two New Orleans men with lengthy criminal records, including one who served 11 years in federal prison for bank robbery, were booked with the armed robbery of a Chalmette store in which Sheriff James Pohlmann said they terrorized employees with what turned out to be a realistic-looking black toy gun, as well as a kitchen knife.

No one was injured in the robbery which happened Wednesday night just before a Family Dollar store in Chalmette was closing.

The two men arrested for armed robbery, Ronnie Morgan, 35, and Demar Jackson, 23, who lived together on St. Roch Avenue in New Orleans, are possible suspects in similar recent robberies in the New Orleans area, the sheriff said.

Information received about the getaway vehicle used, a 1996 white Chrysler, led to where the suspects lived, the sheriff said. Deputies with the Special Investigations Division spotted the car on Paris Road on Thursday night, with Morgan inside, along with the mother of his child, who lives in Chalmette, and a second woman, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

A search of the getaway car Thursday night turned up sleeves of change believed taken from the store, Sheriff Pohlmann said. And in a search of the suspects’ house on St. Roch Avenue a black fake handgun, a knife, two masks, a set of gloves, a hammer and duct tape were all found together in a bag, he said, and more money was recovered in the house.

A rifle was located under the house. Another set of gloves believed used by the robbers were found near the store.

“Detectives described it as a robbery kit,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said of the items found in the plastic bag.

“It was great police work all around,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said of the investigation that led to the arrests in less than a day, including extensive help from New Orleans police involved in the case.

Morgan, who in December was released from a half-way house after 11 years in federal prison for a bank robbery, had about $300 on him when found in the car.

Morgan and Jackson, who is on parole from a robbery conviction in Jefferson Parish and was arrested in New Orleans, are both booked with armed robbery of the store. They are being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison, being held in lieu of a bond set at $750,000 each on Friday by state Dist. Judge Jacques Sanborn.

Jackson’s sister is the Chalmette woman who is the mother of Morgan’s child, authorities said.

Sheriff’s detectives worked the case most of the night Thursday, with the help of New Orleans police who obtained search warrants for the house in the city and and a warrant for Jackson’s arrest, said Sheriff Pohlmann.

The getaway car was registered to a man who lived with Morgan and Jackson but he hasn’t been tied to the robbery, authorities said.

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Crimestoppers Executive Director Darlene Cusanza and Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Richard Baumy and Col. John Doran participated in Chamber luncheon

Darlene Cusanza, executive director of Crimestoppers — the organization which receives hotline tips about criminal cases it feeds to a variety of law enforcement agencies – told the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 22 her group has worked closely with St. Bernard’s Sheriff’s Office for years.

Numerous tips received by her group and forwarded to St. Bernard Parish authorities have helped solve crimes, she said.

Cusanza, in a presentation as guest at the Chamber’s monthly luncheon, said the fact tips Crimestoppers receives can be made anonymously, with rewards offered for information leading to arrests, has been important in getting the public’s cooperation.

“Our program is completely anonymous,’’ Cusanza said. “We are not the police but we pass information on to law enforcement agencies.’’

Crimestoppers feeds tips it receives to about 10 parishes in the New Orleans area, which has led to hundreds of arrests, Cusanza said.

Tips can be made anonymously to (504) 822-1111 or to Crimestoppers’ web site at www.crimestoppersgno.org.

The group has forwarded to the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office 53 tips the last two years it received about criminal cases in St. Bernard, Cusanza said. There were 26 tips received and forwarded last year and 27 in 2012.

Those tips helped lead to six arrests in 2013 involving a total of 14 criminal charges stemming from crimes committed in St. Bernard, said Cusanza, long-time head of the Crimestoppers group, which is based in Jefferson Parish.

In 2012, she told an audience of mostly Chamber members, tips which Crimestoppers received and forwarded to St. Bernard led to seven arrests, resulting in 11 total charges.

Cusanza said St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann served as the go-between from the Sheriff’s Office and Crimestoppers even before he was elected and the agencies continue to have a good relationship.

Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Sheriff Richard Baumy and Col. John Doran, head of operations which includes commander of all enforcement divisions, also participated in the Chamber function.

Doran said the Sheriff’s Office appreciates the help law enforcement receives through the Crimestoppers program.

He acknowledged that because the group is separate from law enforcement makes it attractive for some people who have knowledge about certain crimes.

“Some people may be more comfortable calling them rather than dealing with police,’’ Doran said. The important thing is the information gets received and forwarded to law enforcement, he said.

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