SBSO SEEKING SUSPECT IN ARMED ROBBERY

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office is seeking assistance from the public in locating and identifying a suspect in an armed robbery that occurred Monday, Feb. 20 at BMB Beauty, 8109 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette.

Sheriff James Pohlmann said at approximately 5:30 p.m., a male subject entered the beauty supply store, asked for some hair clippers and then brandished a handgun and demanded cash from the register. The suspect, who also took about $200 worth of merchandise, fled the scene in an unknown direction in what appeared to be a 1998-2001 silver or grey in color, four-door Volkswagen Passat with a sunroof.

Sheriff Pohlmann said no one was injured in the incident.

The suspect is a black male, bearing short black hair tapered to a distinguishing “V” pattern at the rear. He was observed wearing a white in color “Brooklyn Nets” ball cap, a “Hudson NYC” blue in color wool varsity jacket with gold in color faux-leather sleeves, black in color shorts and white in color tennis shoes.

Anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity, his whereabouts or further information regarding this incident is asked to call the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers GNO at (504) 822-1111. Tipsters who call Crimestoppers can remain anonymous, do not have to testify and could be eligible for a cash reward.

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KNIGHTS OF NEMESIS PARADE

St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann shares a moment with Mattie Zimmer at the beginning of the 12th Annual Knights of Nemesis Carnival parade held Feb. 18 in Chalmette.	The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Mobile Emergency Operations Center led the Knights of Nemesis’ 12th annual Carnival parade, coordinating closures of main cross streets as the parade approached and making adjustments in the speed of the procession as needed.
The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Mobile Emergency Operations Center is driven by Capt. Bret Bowen, right, and Maj. Angela Huff, left, posts parade location updates on social media throughout the duration of the parade.	St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Eric Eilers, right, with McGruff the Crime Dog, portrayed by Dep. Debrecca Richard.
St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Dep. Lisa Thiel directs traffic during the Knights of Nemesis parade.	Drug Abuse Resistance Education officers Sgt. Darrin Miller and Lt. Lisa Jackson rode in the Knights of Nemesis parade.

The Knights of Nemesis’ 12th annual Carnival parade held Feb. 18 in Chalmette under beautiful skies was a success, with no major incidents thanks to the men and women of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office who keep our streets safe.

Sheriff James Pohlmann led the parade, as well as several units from the Sheriff’s Office, and officers aboard the Mobile Emergency Operations Center regularly posted parade location updates on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook and Twitter accounts. Other units from the Sheriff’s Office that participated in the parade included officers with the Traffic Division, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education anti drug program and McGruff the Crime Dog.

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Administrative office closures

The administrative offices of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office will be closed Monday, Feb. 20 in observance of President’s Day. The office will reopen Tuesday, Feb. 21.

The administrative offices also will be closed Monday, Feb. 27 and Tuesday, Feb. 28 for Mardi Gras. The offices will reopen Wednesday, March 1.

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Sheriff’s Office team finishes fifth in Rotary Spelling Bee

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office team finished fifth among 19 teams at this year’s 17th Annual Rotary Club Corporate Spelling Bee held Feb. 16 in the Chalmette High School cafeteria. Team members are, from left: Capt. Dennis Morgan, of the Juvenile Detention Center; Kim Gritter, public information officer; and Maj. David DiMaggio, director of training.	A team from Valero Refinery took home bragging rights as this year’s best spellers and first place winners of the Rotary Club Corporate Spelling Bee. From left, are: Barry Lemoine, master of ceremonies; Jessica Vallelungo, enunciator; Valero team members Doug Frueh, Stacy Favalora and Zach Fridge; and Kelsey Billiot, Chalmette High School junior and bee mascot.
Second place honors at this year’s Rotary Club Corporate Spelling Bee went to a group of Chalmette High School students filling in for the St. Bernard Retired Teachers Association team. From left, are: Dr. Hugh Craft, rotarian; Chalmette High students Kevin Nguyen, John Mark Trahan and Kai Lawrence; and Kelsey Billiot, Chalmette High School junior and bee mascot.	The St. Bernard School Board’s administration team took home third place honors at this year’s Rotary Club Corporate Spelling Bee. From left, are: Dr. Hugh Craft, rotarian; team members Angela Seibert, David Fernandez and Lee Anne Harlton; and Kelsey Billiot, Chalmette High School junior and bee mascot.

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office team finished fifth among 19 teams at this year’s 17th Annual Rotary Club Corporate Spelling Bee held Feb. 16 in the Chalmette High School cafeteria, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The Sheriff’s Office team, comprised of Maj. David DiMaggio, director of training, Capt. Dennis Morgan, of the Juvenile Detention Center, and Kim Gritter, public information officer, managed to stay in the game for six rounds, but were eventually taken out when they struggled to spell the word balalaika, a Russian stringed musical instrument.

A team from Valero Refinery, comprised of Zach Fridge, Doug Frueh and Stacy Favalora, took home bragging rights as this year’s best spellers and first place winners. Second place went to Kai Lawrence, Kevin Nguyen and John Mark Trahan, a group of Chalmette High School students filling in for the St. Bernard Retired Teachers Association team. The St. Bernard School Board’s administration team, Angela Seibert, David Fernandez and Lee Anne Harlton, took home third place honors.

Each year, for $300, teams of three people from local businesses, organizations and public offices are invited by the Rotary Club to participate in a fun competition and help raise money for a worthy cause. Refreshments are sold, and there are raffles and door prizes. Proceeds from the event are used by the Rotary Club to promote community literacy programs and to provide area third-graders with their own dictionaries.

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HEROIN, COCAINE AND $7,200 SEIZED IN ARREST OF CHALMETTE MAN

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office narcotics agents seized nearly an ounce of heroin, crack cocaine, powdered cocaine, drug paraphernalia and $7,203 in cash from a man living in Chalmette after receiving information he was wanted in New Orleans on an outstanding warrant for heroin.

Quinell Warden

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office narcotics agents seized nearly an ounce of heroin, as well as cocaine and other drug paraphernalia, from a man living in Chalmette after receiving information he was wanted in New Orleans on an outstanding warrant for heroin, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Quinell Warden, 34, of the 3700 block of Dauterive Drive, was booked with felony charges for possessing 27.4 grams of heroin, with an estimated street value of $3,000, along with a total of 10.6 grams of crack cocaine and powdered cocaine, valued at $1,000.

During the investigation, Sheriff Pohlmann said, Valium, Adderall, Oxycodone and Promethazine tablets also were seized, along with $7,203 in cash, a digital scale, plastic sandwich bags, and two food processors, which are commonly used to break down heroin.

Warden was arrested outside a Chalmette store, where heroin, cocaine and cash were found on him, and additional drugs, cash and paraphernalia were found in his vehicle and later at his home.

Warden is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of $250,000 bond.

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Peace Officers Standards and Training graduation

 
Six St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies and four from the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office graduated Feb. 3 after a 90-hour Corrections Division course in Peace Officers Standards and Training, or P.O.S.T.

The corrections course, which helps better prepare deputies to work in a prison environment or Juvenile Detention Center, covers topics such as defensive tactics, booking procedures, report writing and the use of force lesson plans. Deputies also are trained in the use of pepper spray, which includes each officer being pepper-sprayed in order to learn firsthand about its effects.

The course, led by instructors Capt. Dennis Morgan and Cpl. Brandon Lewis of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division, was held at the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Training Center in Chalmette.

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office deputies who were graduates of the class are: Dep. Vincent Scandariato Jr., Dep. Dawn Penney, Dep. Ashley Blasio, Dep. Steven Oalmann, Dep. Michelle Waites and Dep. Rees Guiterrez. Graduates from Plaquemines Parish are: Dep. Amelia Gause, Dep. Wilfred Antoine Jr., Dep. Tyler Crosby and Dep. James Miller.

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THREE BOOKED IN CONNECTION WITH METH LAB OPERATION IN CHALMETTE

Various items commonly used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine were found inside a camper trailer off East Virtue Street in Chalmette that was being used as a meth lab.

A camper trailer parked in an industrial area off East Virtue Street in Chalmette was being used by two Chalmette men as a meth lab.

Two men were arrested Feb. 3 when St. Bernard Parish narcotics agents took down a methamphetamine lab operating out of a dilapidated camper trailer in Chalmette, St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann said. A woman also was arrested in the investigation.

Frank Peralta, 32, and Jacob Warren, 22, both of the 2500 block of Mumphrey Road in Chalmette, were both booked with creation of a clandestine meth lab. In addition, Peralta was booked with possession of a firearm and possession of Xanax and Suboxone tablets, and Warren was booked on two outstanding attachments out of Jefferson Parish. Jacqueline Peralta, 40, also of Mumphrey Road, was booked with possession of a firearm, possession of Xanax and Suboxone tablets, and traffic violations. Suboxone is a drug used in the heroin weaning process.

Sheriff Pohlmann said narcotics agents came in contact with the individuals during a traffic violation stop. During the course of the investigation, agents recovered a.380 Cobra handgun and learned Frank Peralta and Warren were involved in a meth lab operation which they said was only for personal use. The lab was found in a trailer parked in an industrial area on East Virtue Street in Chalmette.

After obtaining a search warrant for the trailer, agents suited up in hazardous material protective gear discovered various items inside the trailer commonly used in the creation of meth, including plastic tubing, plastic bottles, coffee filters, lithium batteries, salt and aluminum foil.

All three subjects are being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison. Frank Peralta and Jacob Warren’s bonds have both been set at $100,000 each and Jacqueline Peralta’s bond is $40,000.

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Mobile Emergency Operations Center to provide Nemesis parade updates

If you’ve ever gone to a Carnival parade, you’ve probably found yourself impatiently looking at your watch while staring down the road, wondering how much longer it will be until the parade arrives. St. Bernardians who plan to attend the Knights of Nemesis’ 12th annual parade Feb. 18 in Chalmette can rest easy.

For the fourth consecutive year, Sheriff James Pohlmann said the department’s Mobile Emergency Operations Center will lead the parade, posting regular location updates on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook and Twitter pages along the way.

Manned each year by Maj. Angela Huff, Capt. Charles Borchers and Capt. Bret Bowen, the department’s mobile command unit essentially controls the running of the parade by coordinating closures of main cross streets as the parade approaches and making adjustments in the speed of the procession.

Capt. Bowen, who drives the unit, said throughout the duration of the parade they communicate with deputies along the route who keep them informed of any circumstances that may affect the parade’s flow, including tractor breakdowns or any other mishaps. While Capt. Bowen is driving, Maj. Huff and Capt. Borchers take care of the social media updates, including posting information about delays and photos from along the route.

According to Capt. Bowen, the 40-foot LDV specialty vehicle which sits on a freightliner chassis, includes a front driving compartment, followed by a command area, galley, restroom and communications area in the rear. Bowen said the state-of-the-art vehicle also is equipped with several smart TVs, a marine radio, and a rear 360-degree view camera that can be raised 35 feet in the air.

Sheriff Pohlmann acquired the $375,000 unit for the department in 2013 through a federal grant. In addition to the Nemesis parade, the command center also is used during the Irish, Italian, Islenos parade, at local festivals and during SWAT rolls and roundups.

Capt. Bowen said utilizing the unit and technology helps provide relief for the Sheriff’s Office radio room during parades.

The main reason we started this was if you wanted to know where the parade was before you would call the Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “So now, thanks to the use of social media, we can post information on our Facebook and Twitter accounts to help alleviate the number of calls we get that tie up our lines and prevent more important calls from coming through.”

This year’s Nemesis parade, featuring more than 20 floats, 30 marching units and 300 riders, begins at 1 p.m. and will follow the traditional route, beginning and ending at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Drive, with U-turns at the intersections near Dr. Meraux Boulevard and Campagna Drive.

Cutline:
The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Mobile Emergency Operations Center will lead the Knights of Nemesis parade on Feb. 18 in Chalmette, posting regular location updates on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook and Twitter pages along the way.

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New Orleans man booked with passing counterfeit currency in St. Bernard Parish

A New Orleans man believed to be systematically passing counterfeit $20 and $10 bills in St. Bernard and Jefferson parishes has been arrested, and printing devices and a large amount of fake bills were seized, St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

William Farnbaugh, 46, who lives on Mazant Street, was booked Jan. 30 with monetary instrument abuse for passing counterfeit money and on a fugitive warrant out of Kenner for the same charge.

Following a report of a man trying to use counterfeit money at an Arabi business, Sheriff’s Office detectives performed a traffic stop on a vehicle fitting the description given by a witness. Sheriff Pohlmann said a total of $1,600 in fake $20 and $10 bills were seized from Farnbaugh, along with a counterfeit bill detector pen and ink cartridges.

Farnbaugh is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison on a $50,000 bond. He also has prior arrests for counterfeiting in Louisiana and Florida.

St. Bernard Parish detectives are still looking into the case and said more charges or arrests could be made. Anyone with information pertaining to the case is asked to call the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.

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