Violet man booked with second degree murder

Posted: October 17th, 2018 | Filed under: Arrested, News Releases | Tags: ,

***UPDATE***

Dwestley Rodriguez Ratcliff Jr. is in custody.

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office books Violet man with second degree murder, issues arrest warrant for another in connection with Oct. 15 homicide

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office arrested a Violet man for second degree murder and has issued an arrest warrant for another man in connection with a fatal shooting that took place Oct. 15 on Daniel Drive in Violet, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Jeff Shields, 27, of the 2200 block of Guerra Drive, was booked Oct. 16 with second degree murder, and an arrest warrant has been issued for Dwestley Rodriguez Ratcliff Jr., 19, of Violet, for the same charge.

Shortly before 9 p.m. on Oct. 15, Sheriff Pohlmann said, deputies with the Field Operations Bureau were patrolling in the Violet area when they heard gunshots coming from the area of Daniel and Stacie Drives.

As deputies searched the area to find the source of the gunshots, they observed a vehicle that had crashed into an electrical pole in the 3000 block of Daniel Drive.

When deputies approached the vehicle, Sheriff Pohlmann said, they found a man to be lying across the front driver’s seat suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

The victim, Deshaun Singleton, 17, of Phillip Court in Chalmette, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A .9mm handgun with a 30-round extended magazine found on the victim was recovered, the Sheriff said, and a vehicle check was conducted on the vehicle he was driving which revealed it was listed by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office as stolen.

Sheriff Pohlmann said the men were reportedly involved in an altercation just days prior to the shooting.

Shields is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison on a $850,000 bond.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Ratcliff 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.