National Night Out Against Crime to be held Tuesday, Oct. 18; Call 278-7628 or 278-7799 to register a party and a sheriff’s deputy will come out to give crime prevention tips and answer questions

Sheriff James Pohlmann reminds residents that on Tuesday, Oct. 18 the 33rd annual National Night Against Crime will be held across the country and it is still a fixture in St. Bernard Parish.

The sheriff urges parish residents to call Capt. Charles Borchers at (504) 278-7628 or Dep. Sheriff Eric Eilers at 278-7799 to register any gathering of people being held that night and a sheriff’s deputy will be sent to provide crime prevention tips.

“It’s still a good way for people to show they want to fight crime in their neighborhood and have their questions answered by a sheriff’s deputy who knows the parish,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

PARTY HOST	ADDRESS	GUEST	Deputies Assigned
Aycock barn	409 Aycock Dr.	50	Mitch Perkins
Andrew Jackson Lodge	1107 LeBeau	25	Mitch Rousell
Chris Palazzalo	8441 Patricia DR.	25	Chris Palazzalo
Debbie Caserta	213 E. Prosper	25	Henry Senez, Nicole Miller
Rose Mary Gioia	2909 Golden Dr	30	Mike Chutz
Pentecostal Church	2015 Palmisano	65	SOD/ Scheeler
Camile Thompson	2701 Marquez Dr.	35	Court/
Cindy Reynolds	2121 Etienne Dr.	35	IT/ Trandacosta
Teri Pohlmann	3013 Rue Marcelle	35	Simon Gonzales
Melanie Doan	2045 Landry Ct.	35	Traffic/
Errol Schultz	Entrance/ Deercreek	35	Courts/ Schultz
Rosetta Santiago	2409 Guerra Dr.	35	Lisa Jackson
Rosetta Santiago	2409 Guerra Dr.	35	Lisa Jackson
Kevin Gabriel	2911 Daniel Dr.	25	Ricky Jackson/ Darrin Miller
Ms. Jackson	3204 Oak Dr.	25	Mendel/ DJ Johnson
Ms. Domnick	2424 St. Matthew Cir.	25	Gulliot/ Carreras
Craig Dibiagas	2220 Centanni Dr.	45	Burke/ Rauch
Shakeith Ashby	2516 Riverbend Dr.	25	Schmidlin/Gould
Linda Martin	#15 South Lake Ct.	25	Albert Loar

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Turn in unused or unwanted prescription drugs at Drug Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Sheriff’s Office sub-station at 7001 West Judge Perez Drive at Aycock Street in Arabi

Sheriff James Pohlmann is urging people not to let their unused or unwanted prescription medications such as pain-killer pills fall into the wrong hands.

Instead, turn them in to the Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the sub-station at 7001 West Judge Perez Drive on National Drug Take-Back Day.

“This has been a highly successful program for us,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “Its aim is to get rid of unused or no longer needed drugs from medicine chests so no one else finds them and uses them or sells them on the streets.’’

“Don’t let young people get hooked on pills they find while visiting you,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said, and “don’t throw medication in the garbage where it can be found or down the toilet where it can end up affecting wildlife or seafood in marshes.’’

“Instead, bring any medication you don’t use to us so it can be destroyed properly.’’

Last May, the Sheriff’s Office received a record 150 pounds of medications of all sorts during the last time a drug take-back day was held. The Take-Back Day is held in conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and State Police efforts.

The goal of getting rid of excess prescriptions is important, the sheriff said, because studies show young people often first abuse prescription drugs after stealing them from medicine chests at the homes of relatives or at parents of friends.

“The amount collected from the public means those pills and other drugs never reach the streets to be abused, often by young people,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Drugs collected are incinerated.
Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit officers will be at the Arabi sub-station to collect prescription medication. They can be brought in pill bottles or in any type of bag.
Residents are reminded they can also call the sheriff’s 271-DOPE hot line (271-3673) at any time they want to turn in prescription drugs between official drug take-back days. A Narcotics Unit agent will call them back to make arrangements.
St. Bernard residents should also call the sheriff’s 271-DOPE hot line anonymously at any time to report suspected illegal drug activity. All calls will be acted upon.

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Chalmette brothers arrested with an assault rifle, a handgun, crack cocaine, powder cocaine and a large number of prescription pills

Guns, cocaine and pills recovered in arrest of Chalmette brothers.

Brothers Ibrahim Abualia, left, and, at right, Mohammed Abualia, both arrested with guns, cocaine and pills.

A pair of Chalmette brothers were arrested with an assault rifle, a handgun, both crack cocaine and powder cocaine and a large number of prescription pills when they were stopped for a traffic offense by agents of the Special Investigations Division, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Ibrahim Abualia, 32, and his brother Mohammed Abualia, 27, who live together on Rosetta Drive in Chalmette, were stopped Oct. 6 in a vehicle on West Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette as they were headed toward New Orleans, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Agents noticed a handgun in plain view and further questioned the pair, the sheriff said.

After denying there were any other guns or any narcotics, the driver, Mohammed Abualia, consented to a search of the vehicle, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

During that search, a fully loaded assault rifle was found in the trunk and also found in the vehicle were a rifle magazine of ammo, 11 plastic bags containing crack cocaine, seven bags of powder cocaine and drug paraphernalia, as well as 147 prescription pills, 126 of which were the painkiller Tramadol.

It was learned Ibrahim Abualia is a convicted felon and was booked with being a convicted felon in illegal possession of a firearm.

Both were booked with possession of a firearm while in possession of controlled dangerous substances, with possession of crack and the Tramadol with intent to distribute, and possession of powder cocaine, other pills and drug paraphernalia.

Mohammed Abualia was also booked on the traffic infractions.

Both were booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison. Ibrahim Abualia is being held in lieu of bond set at $95,000 and Mohammed Abualia has been released on $65,000 bond.

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Sheriff’s Office holds police motorcycle training program for its own deputies and other departments

Sheriff’s Dep. Glen Markham, the originator of the idea to hold a police motorcycle training program.	Deputy Dusang rides during an exercise.
St. Bernard Dep. Dixie Dusang and instructor Glen Markham during a training exercise.	Capt. Doucet rides during an exercise involving cones.
Capt. Daniel Doucet of SBSO, just before the beginning of a training exercise,	The five officers from several departments who took part in the training, including two from the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office.

St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Dep. Glen Markham, a native of Chalmette, rode motorcycles for 28 years as a New Orleans policeman and has been an instructor for six years.

He said any officer who wants to ride a police motorcycle has to understand it’s not a question of whether they will go down with the bike in training or on the streets. “It’s not if but when,’’ Markham said. “If you’re not falling you’re not training.’’

Markham has had several concussions and numerous broken bones in motorcycle incidents. “I don’t know who hasn’t gone down.” But those who truly love riding find a way to persevere through injuries, he said.

In the two-week, 80-hour course he teaches, Markham said, “You can take people who have never ridden a motorcycle and two weeks later they (have been certified and) can be on the street’’

Markham, with help from instructors Arthur Laurent and Nick O’Connor from State Police, both troopers, and retired NOPD instructor Ed Brauner, has been conducting a motorcycle training course in Chalmette for five officers – two from St. Bernard Parish, and one each from State Police, the New Orleans Police Department and the Harahan Police Department. The course runs from Oct. 3-14,

The officers are St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Capt. Daniel Doucet and Dep. Dixie Dusang, State Police Trooper Howard Amos, New Orleans Police Capt. Mike Glasser and Harahan Policeman Joel Porretto.

Also, re-certification courses are being held for officers from St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, State Police and the Slidell Police Department.

“It was a great idea’’ to hold the training course, said St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann, who approved putting it on.

It gives the Sheriff’s Office more options for using motorcycle officers by having two more people certified, said Sheriff Pohlmann, who has made training for officers a priority and has overseen a wide variety of training offered.

Markham said at the end of the first week of training, “Everyone made a huge improvement” from where they started.

Officers began learning on a huge asphalt lot donated for use by St. Bernard Port authorities, with cones laid out for different type exercises, and by the end of the first week they were also riding on grass and dirt.

“It’s the most intense motorcycle training you can go through,’’ Markham said.

Capt. Doucet, a veteran of nearly 20 years in law enforcement, most of which has been with the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office, said he has ridden motorcycles in the past but all smaller than the Harley-Davidson Road Kings used by police.

“It’s not like pleasure riding,’’ he said of the police motorcycles.

Doucet also said he wanted to be trained in Markham’s course because “I wanted to try something different.’’

Dep. Dusang,, who has been with the Sheriff’s Office three years full-time and as a Reserve Division deputy before that, said she had never ridden a motorcycle before starting the course. “I didn’t even know how to crank it.’’

“I was asked if I wanted to do it and I said sure,’’ she said. “I will take any training I can’’

And now, Dusang said, “I love it. I have learned a lot.’’

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$200,000 bond set for student teacher booked with sexual battery for inappropriately touching a student on the outside of their clothing

A $200,000 bond was set Friday for a student teacher booked Thursday with felony sexual battery for inappropriately touching a student on the outside of their clothing.

Remy Ferrell, 24, of Arabi had bond set by state District Judge Jeanne Juneau.

Ferrell is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison.

Ferrell, a college student and a student teacher at Joseph Davies School in Meraux since August, is booked with one count but Sheriff James Pohlmann said an investigation will continue which could result in further charges.

Judge Judge Juneau, as well as setting bond for Ferrell, also ordered he stay away from the school and its students.

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2-year-old boy abducted in Arabi by his step-grandfather was found in good health in N.O. but the adult is still at-large and wanted on a warrant charging kidnapping

Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Division Det. Sgt.. Michelle Canepa holds William Flattmann V in a detective office after his return late Thursday night.

Gary Wilson, wanted for kidnapping.

A 2-year-old boy abducted in Arabi by his step-grandfather on Thursday was found in good health in New Orleans late that night but the adult is still at-large and is wanted on a warrant charging kidnapping, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The boy, William Flattmann V, was returned to family members after a New Orleans woman called to report the child had been dropped off at her home that afternoon by the step-grandfather, Gary Wilson, 36.

Wilson is still at-large. Anyone knowing his whereabouts should call the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.

The boy’s family called the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office on Thursday afternoon to report the boy had been taken by Wilson, who when they spoke with him by phone, said he wasn’t bringing the boy back, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The woman who called to say she had him said she saw a television news item referring to the missing child, with a photo of the boy and Wilson. She said she didn’t know he had been abducted, only that Wilson had dropped him off that afternoon to play with another child.

Louisiana State Police had earlier Thursday issued a Level II Endangered/Missing Child media advisory asking the public to report any sighting of the boy or Wilson.

Wilson, who has a lengthy criminal background, was driving a red Chevrolet Cavalier with an unknown license plate.

St. Bernard sheriff’s detectives worked on the case with a group of officers from numerous agencies known as the Joint Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team, or JCARD – New Orleans. Agencies in the group besides St. Bernard include the FBI, State Police, the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Kenner Police Department and the Gretna Police Department.

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Student teacher booked with felony sexual battery for inappropriately touching an elementary school student on the outside of the clothing: Investigation continuing and more counts may follow

A student teacher at a St. Bernard Parish elementary school was booked Thursday with one count of felony sexual battery for touching a student inappropriately on the outside of the clothing but an investigation is continuing that could involve more victims and counts, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Remy Ferrell, 24, an undergraduate at a college who has been a student teacher since August at Joseph Davies Elementary in Meraux, was taken into custody after several parents – who had learned of possible misconduct – brought their concerns to the school Thursday and the Sheriff’s Office was informed, the sheriff said.
Ferrell is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison and is scheduled to go before a magistrate judge on Friday to have bond set.

Sheriff Pohlmann said Ferrell was taken from his home by sheriff’s detectives after he had been told to leave the school by school officials He was brought for questioning and was later booked with one count of felony sexual battery late Thursday afternoon.

The allegation involves the touching of a child on the outside of the clothing, the sheriff said, noting the investigation is continuing and more victims and counts are possible.

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Violet man arrested for firing 10 gunshots in the air in his back yard; No one injured

A Violet man had a unique way of trying to clear his house of party guests: he went in his back yard and fired numerous gunshots in the air, leaving 10 spent 9mm casings found by sheriff’s deputies called to the scene, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

No one was injured in the incident that happened just before 7 p.m. on Oct. 2, the sheriff said.

Joseph Addison, 38, 6835 Jules Brown Drive, was booked with illegal use of a weapon and with one count of possession of cocaine after a small bag was found on him as he was being booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison.

Addison has been released on bond of $12,500.

There had been a birthday party at Addison’s house that day for a relative and he had been drinking alcohol, the sheriff said.

He said at some point in the early evening Addison became angry and yelled for everyone to leave, After some arguing, Addison went into his back yard and began firing numerous gun shots in the air. No one was injured.

Sheriff’s deputies found 10 spent 9 mm casings in Addison’s back yard but a search of the house that was consented to by family members didn’t turn up the gun, only a gun case and two loaded magazines of ammunition.

Addison declined to discuss what happened and was taken to jail on the illegal use of a weapon charge, where the cocaine possession count was also added after a search of his person.

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Intersection at East St . Bernard Highway and Palmisano Blvd. to be closed to traffic the nights of Oct. 7 to Oct. 9.

The intersection of East St. Bernard Highway and Palmisano Boulevard in Chalmette will be closed to traffic the nights of Oct. 7 to Oct. 9.

Drainage repairs will be performed.

Traffic will be re-routed for east-bound and west-bound lanes of the highway.

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Sheriff’s Office wants to identify woman who cashed checks in a $3,000 theft from a couple after posing as the owner of a Chalmette house for rent; Same woman may be involved in a similar $2,000 case

The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office is trying to identify a woman who cashed checks in a $3,000 theft from a couple after posing as the owner of an Arabi house for rent and may also be involved in a similar case involving a $2,000 theft, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

A woman, in her early 20s, cashed checks in August after meeting with a couple who answered an ad on the Craigslist web site for classifieds and accepted a total of $3,000 in checks covering a deposit and two months’ rent on the Arabi house, the sheriff said.

It turned out she didn’t own the home, he said.

Also, a similar trick was used by a woman in September to steal $2,000 from a separate couple after posing as a property agent for a home in Chalmette, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Sheriff’s detectives working the cases believe they are likely connected, he said.

Anyone with information on the identity of the woman shown in a bank photo cashing checks should call the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.

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