Chalmette man arrested for forcible rape and false imprisonment of 20-year-old woman he had just met; camouflage hat played a part in the investigation

A Chalmette man was booked Tuesday with forcible rape and false imprisonment of a 20-year-old Chalmette woman he had just met and lured to his apartment by asking if she wanted to smoke or buy some marijuana he had, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

A camouflage hat played a role in the investigation, authorities said.

Denera Carter, 25, 3205 Golden Drive, Apt. A, was picked up by sheriff’s detectives after a judge signed a warrant for Carter’s arrest on the two felonies. He was being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison pending an appearance before a judge to have bond set.

The incident happened Monday during the day but sheriff’s officials didn’t learn of it until they were called Monday evening after the woman had gone to St. Bernard Hospital and been transferred to University Hospital in New Orleans to have an examination including a rape kit done.

The woman told detectives she met Carter, who she didn’t know, outside a store on Paris Road in Chalmette on Monday morning and after talking he asked her to come to his apartment to smoke or buy marijuana, Sheriff Pohlmann said. He said she agreed and once inside the residence, the man began pulling at her clothes and pinned her on a bed and raped her, implying he had a gun.

Afterward, Carter wouldn’t let her leave his apartment for a period of time until she begged him to let her go home to take kidney medication she needed, the sheriff said.

She said Carter agreed to walk her to her residence but he put a camouflage-colored hat on her head to disguise her, she said. Once at her place, she broke away and ran inside and Carter left. She then called a friend who brought her to St. Bernard Parish Hospital, she said.

When detectives interviewed the woman after she was released from the hospital, she produced the hat she said Carter had placed on her head to walk her home.

Sheriff Pohlmann said her story was bolstered by the fact the hat they received from her was very similar to a camouflage hat Carter wore himself when sheriff’s deputies dealt with him on an unrelated matter in Chalmette several months ago.

Also, while she didn’t know Carter’s name, she pointed out where the incident happened and gave a description of him including a cross tattoo on his face. With further investigation, detectives put together a photo line-up of known offenders with such a tattoo and the woman picked Carter from the group, the sheriff said.

Carter, after the arrest warrant was issued, was found by detectives and arrested about noon on Tuesday while walking on Delambert Street in Chalmette. He denied doing anything to the woman.

During a search of Carter’s apartment authorized by a warrant signed by a judge, a small amount of marijuana was found, the sheriff said.

Carter has a criminal history that includes an arrest in Baton Rouge for aggravated battery but there wasn’t any information on the outcome of the charge.