Night of boxing in St. Bernard Parish draws 500 spectators for more than 30 bouts

Some 500 people turned out for the night of boxing called Hittin’ Hard “N” in St. Bernard on Feb. 27 at Norman’s Boxing Gym in Arabi. More than 30 matches were held, showcasing numerous boxers from the age of eight and up, who took part. Norman Van Court, who operates the boxing program, is shown at left, with a host of parish officials who attended, including new Parish President Guy McInnis, District Attorney Perry Nicosia and Sheriff James Pohlmann. In the ring above them, a young boxer prepares for the start of a bout.

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Five stolen ATVs recovered and a man who pulled a rifle on teen-agers who were chasing him as he rode one stolen four-wheeler booked on several charges

Five all-terrain vehicles stolen recently from their owners in eastern St. Bernard Parish have been recovered and a man who pulled a rifle on teen-agers who were chasing him as he rode one stolen four-wheeler was booked on several charges, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The recovered four-wheelers, stolen during the month of February, were found by the Sheriff’s Office this week in several loc in eastern St. Bernard Parish, the sheriff said.

Ryan Lajoie, 18, 1600 Robert Drive in eastern St. Bernard, was booked on Wednesday with several charges after he pulled a rifle on several teen-agers who were chasing him and another man who were riding a stolen ATV, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Lajoie and the man he was with fled on foot after the incident but he was recognized and was later found and arrested by sheriff’s detectives. the sheriff said.

Lajoie was booked with felony possession of stolen property – the four wheeler he was riding – and with aggravated assault for pointing the rifle, which itself had been stolen when the four-wheeler was taken. Lajoie also was booked with distribution of marijuana based on an outstanding warrant narcotics officers had and with probation violation.

He was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison and bond was set at $60.000 for him.

Authorities were trying to identify the second man who was with Lajoie and an arrest is expected, the sheriff said. A sixth four-wheeler stolen in February hasn’t been recovered, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

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Sheriff’s Office takes part in St. Bernard Special Olympics on Friday, March 4 at 9 a.m. at Bobby Nuss Stadium; Events open to the public and sponsorships available

Volunteers taking part in the Special Olympics several years ago from businesses and other groups, including Sheriff James Pohlmann and Maj. Chad Clark of the Sheriff’s Office, are shown before the event started,

A Special Olympics participant rares back to throw a ball as far as he can while sheriff’s deputies in the distance wave to him for encouragement.

Sponsorship levels available for March 4 Special Olympics.

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office will take part again in St. Bernard Special Olympics being held on Friday, March 4 at 9 a.m. at Bobby Nuss Stadium at Chalmette High.

This 7th annual event is open to the public and sponsorships are available. All sponsors must submit their donations no later than Monday, Feb. 29 at 9 a.m.

Special Olympics has moved from being a backyard summer camp for people with disabilities to a global movement and has been changing lives and attitudes for 45 years. It’s a chance to impact the lives of athletes in our own community.

St. Bernard Parish deputies have been there since the Special Olympics became an annual event in the parish school system.

Deputies have participated in the opening ceremonies and parade, then help with putting on individual events for the young athletes. “Our deputies should be proud of the work they have done over the years to help Special Olympics,’’ Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Department members also take part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics each year, held in May on the weekend of the statewide Special Olympics which take place in Hammond.

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Meraux Foundation team wins annual Rotary Club Community Spelling Bee held at Chalmette High; Sheriff’s Office team finishes fourth

Things were certainly buzzing at the Rotary Club’s annual St. Bernard Community Spelling Bee held at Chalmette High.

A bee theme was everywhere at the Feb. 18 event, including balloons with designs of bees at each table of the 23 teams made up of parish businesses, government agencies and other groups fielding teams.

There was even a Chalmette High student dressed in yellow and black who brought the microphone to each three-member team as they were given a word to spell.

After numerous rounds, a team sponsored by the Meraux Foundation and represented by Chris Haines, Bill Haines and Samantha Haines claimed the winning trophy.

A team representing the Sheriff’s Office finished fourth. Its members were Maj. David DiMaggio, head of training for the department; Lt. Dennis Morgan of the Corrections Division; and Dep. Sheriff Brad Alfonso of the Patrol Division.

Shown are all the teams at tables, the Sheriff’s Office team and the winning Meraux Foundation team with its trophy.

The Sheriff’s Office team, shown sitting at a table about to spell a word they were given, are, from left, Maj. David DiMaggio, Lt. Dennis Morgan and Dep. Sheriff Brad Alfonso.
The winning Meraux team, standing from left, are Bill Haines, Samantha Haines, Rita Gue of the Meraux Foundation who is holding the trophy; and Chris Haines.

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Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Cyber Crime Unit arrests two men, including one from Chalmette, on child pornography charges in separate cases

Joint law enforcement efforts led by Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Cyber Crime Unit have resulted in the arrests of two men on child pornography charges, including a Chalmette man, in separate incidents.

Rolando Corral, 23, of Chalmette, was arrested Friday, Feb. 19, after a joint investigation of the Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation revealed the possession of child pornography and a search warrant was executed at the residence of Corral, the Attorney General’s office said.

Based on evidence located during the search of the residence and statements made by Corral, he was arrested on 5 counts of pornography involving juveniles, the Attorney General’s office said. Corral was booked into the St. Bernard Parish Prison.

In the separate case, David Aswad, who legally changed his name to David Black, 35, of Shreveport, was arrested Feb. 17, on 38 counts of pornography involving juveniles after a joint investigation into the possible possession of child pornography led to Aswad’s residence, the Attorney General said.

The investigatioin was conducted by the Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Police Department, the Bossier City Marshall’s Office and Louisiana State Police.

On Feb. 17, Aswad was arrested by the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office on the outstanding arrest warrant.

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Graduation held for eight new SWAT team members as new commander Lt. Bobby Norton is blending new members into the old group with 60-hour training school he developed

Graduation ceremonies were held Feb. 1 for eight new SWAT team members as new commander Lt. Bobby Norton is blending new members into the old group with a 60-hour training school he developed.

Sheriff James Pohlmann took part in the ceremony.

The goal of training the eight in-house in Norton’s school is continuity across the SWAT team, rather than sending them to various other training programs.

Shown at left is Lt. Robert Norton and next to him, from left are the new SWAT team graduates: Sgt. Ryan Melerine, Dep. Joe Bowen, Agent Carlo Cacioppo, Dep. Dustin Gould, Dep. Skyler Rauch, Dep. Matthew Schmidlen, Agent Gary Noriea and Dep. Chelsie Soulagnet.

Norton has returned to the Sheriff’s Office where he started in 1986 and was employed until 1990 and he is now commander of the Special Weapons And Tactics team, or SWAT.
In the intervening time after he left, Norton spent 25 years with New Orleans Police, retiring last year after heading their SWAT team and later Special Operations. He was on the NOPD SWAT team from 1990-2000, commanded SWAT in the city for two years until 2012, then was commander of NOPD Special Operations for three years before retiring in 2015.
Norton has put together a 60-hour school of SWAT training which covers:
– establishment of a perimeter
– negotiation technique
– entry into a building or other space
– less than lethal options available
– an active shooter situation
– riot control
– weapons nomenclature

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Suspect in 10 burglaries arrested after fleeing into wooded area near the Violet Canal; Shawn Penney already has 13 burglary convictions

A St. Bernard Parish man who has 13 burglary convictions on his rap sheet will now have 10 more similar counts.

Shawn Penney, 38, 1710 Heights Drive, was captured Thursday after fleeing into a wooded area near the Violet Canal, Sheriff James Pohlmann said. Sheriff’s SWAT team members and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force were involved in the arrest.

Penney, who has served time in prison and was released on parole several months ago, will be booked with 10 burglaries committed in eastern St. Bernard Parish since Jan. 7, the sheriff said.

Three of those burglaries, at Violet businesses, were committed this week, including at a convenience store, a bar and a factory. Detectives said Penney has been accused of burglarizing the same bar more than five times since the early 2000s.

In the convenience store break-in early Wednesday morning, a large number of lottery tickets were stolen, sheriff’s detectives said.

That information was sent to Louisiana Lottery officials, who informed the Sheriff’s Office late Thursday afternoon that someone had tried to cash in winning tickets from the stash of stolen ones at an outlet in Violet, the sheriff said.

Detectives determined the man who turned in about $25 in tickets was Paul Johannessen, 36, who also lives on Heights Drive and knows Penney. When arrested, he admitted Penney had given him the tickets to cash in but said he didn’t know they were stolen.

Johannessen was booked with possession of stolen property.

After that arrest, detectives got a search warrant for Penney’s residence. He wasn’t there but the owner let in officers, who found burglary tools and several items believed stolen from the convenience store, the sheriff said.

They were able to obtain a warrant for Penney’s arrest issued by a judge.

Later, detectives received information Penney had fled into a wooded area near the Violet Canal and a search group was organized to look for him on Thursday.

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Capt. Brian Clark and Cpl. Shane Lulei, both of the Sheriff’s Office Marine Division, receive Kiwanis Club Life-Saver Award

Cpl. Shane Lulei and Caot. Brian Clark hold their Life-Saver Awards given them by the St. Bernard Kiwanis Club. With them, from left, are Sheriff James Pohlmann, Chief Deputy Richard Baumy, Mike Gorbaty, President of the Kiwanis Club; Maj. Chad Clark and Sam Catalanotto, chairman of the Life-Saver Committee.

Capt. Brian Clark and Cpl. Shane Lulei, about to receive their awards. Seated is Mike Gorbaty, President of the Kiwanis Club, and behind them is Sam Catalanotto, chairman of the Life-Saver Committee.

Whether or not they have met them, boaters in St. Bernard Parish have good friends in Capt. Brian Clark and Cpl. Shane Lulei, both of the Sheriff’s Office Marine Division.

Clark and Lulei are the ones who go out to rescue boaters who have broken down, gotten stuck on a mud flat, had a medical emergency or simply got lost in St. Bernard Parish waters

Sometimes it’s during the day while they are on duty, but just as likely it’s at night or on weekends when they are off.

Because of their work to help people, Clark and Lulei have been chosen to receive the Kiwanis Club Life-Saver Award.

The Kiwanis Club gives the award four times a year for special actions, twice to parish sheriff’s deputies and twice to firefighters.

The ceremony included Sheriff Pohlmann, Sam Catalanotto – chairman of the Kiwanis Life-Saver Committee – and Mike Gorbaty, President of Kiwanis. Several ranking deputies including Chief Deputy Richard Baumy and Maj. Chad Clark, brother of Brian Clark, attended the event.

In presenting the award, Catalanotto said that more than 10 years ago the Kiwanis Club started it as a way to recognize first-responders in the parish for the work they do to protect the public. “They are the first people through a door’’ to rescue someone in an emergency, he said. “They put their lives on the line’’ for St. Bernard.

Clark and Lulei go out dozens of times in winter to rescue people, often when temperatures are dropping and lives could be at stake if the boaters haven’t taken special precautions before they left such as bringing a charged cell phone, food, fluids, blankets and flares or flashlights.

And summer is even busier for St. Bernard boaters, when temperatures can be soaring.

Clark, a native of St. Bernard Parish, retired as Captain after a 25-year career with the State Wildlife and Fisheries Department in 2008 and came to work for the Sheriff’s Office, where he commands the Marine Division.

Clark also led a group of 60 officers after Hurricane Katrina which rescued people from flooded nursing homes, structures and other areas in New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish.

He told the Kiwanis Club members he and Lulei enjoy being out on the water and helping people. “It’s our way of life,’’ he said. “Its our families who make the sacrifices for us to do this.’’

He also said Sheriff James Pohlmann supports the work of the Marine Division and “gives us the equipment we need.’’

Team work and leadership is stressed at the Sheriff’s Office, he said, adding, “No one in this agency leaves until a job is done.’’

Lulei, also a St. Bernard native, has spent 16 years working for both the Sheriff’s Office and parish Fire Department. He has been involved in fire rescue situations as well as rescues on water.

Lelei said, “I love the Sheriff’s Office and the Fire Department 100 percent I do this for all our kids in this parish.’’

Sheriff Pohlmann also spoke, saying of Clark and Lulei, ”I have to be one of the luckiest sheriffs in this state to have guys like this.” They are well deserving of recognition as life-savers, the sheriff said. And unfortunately, he said, they have had to respond to tragic boating accidents including one several years ago in which a young girl died.

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Sheriff’s Office asks public’s help to identify a truck used to steal a trailer carrying $19,000 of a local band’s musical equipment

Cargo Trailer Theft
2006 Pacer Journey 9X14, Double Axle
Louisiana Trailer Plate: L004750

A local band is out $19,000 of its musical equipment and the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s help to identify a truck used to steal a cargo trailer in Meraux that was holding the equipment, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The theft happened Saturday afternoon in Meraux, when at least one man hooked up the trailer to a truck and was last seen heading west toward New Orleans about 12:30 p.m., , the sheriff said.

A blue Ford Expedition truck with tan trimming was used to steal the trailer and musical equipment, the sheriff said.

Anyone with information on the truck or who may have stolen the trailer should call the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Ofice at (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111, They could be eligible for a reward if an arrest is made in the case.

The band Hit-N-Run was the victim of the theft. The trailer carrying the equipment was parked at th driveway of a band member.

The stolen cargo trailer is a 2006 Pacer Journey, double axle, with Louisiana trailer plate L004750. Neither the license plate on the truck used in the theft or its driver are seen clearly o a surveillance video. The thief, however, was wearing a yellow or lime green sweater with a hoodie.

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Traffic Delays Due to Movie Production

On Tuesday, February 2nd and Wednesday, February 3rd between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (weather permitting), a production studio plans to film exterior aerial and ground level scenes between the 8300 and 8500 blocks of Fairfax Dr. and at the corner of Evangeline Avenue.

As events are taking place, vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be held on the following impacted streets: Jean Lafitte Parkway, Fairfax Drive, Evangeline Avenue, Norwood Drive, Dominique Drive, Queens Court East, Evangeline Avenue, Kings Drive, Valor Drive and Patricia Drive.

In coordination with the St. Bernard Parish Sherriff’s office, on-site law enforcement will be present to help facilitate traffic flow, intermittent traffic control while filming, and to ensure public safety throughout the duration of all work. We are also working with the FAA, the St. Bernard Parish Government, the St. Bernard Parish Fire Dept. and many other entities to help lessen the impact within the St. Bernard Parish community. If you are a resident living directly within these blocks, we will work with each and every one of you to make sure you are able to come and go as needed.

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