N.O. man booked with burglary of two St. Bernard Parish businesses was identified by DNA found at the scenes, which the state crime lab matched to him

A New Orleans man booked with the burglaries of two St. Bernard Parish businesses was identified by DNA found at the scenes, which the state crime lab matched to him, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Richard Williams, 27, 6243 N. Rampart St., was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison on Tuesday after he was arrested on warrants issued by a judge based on the DNA matches made on two burglaries committed in Arabi during the summer, the sheriff said.

A U.S. Marshal’s Service task force, of which a St. Bernard sheriff’s deputy is assigned, recently found Williams in New Orleans and returned him Tuesday to St. Bernard Parish.

Williams, who has a previous criminal history, is a suspect in several other unsolved burglaries in Arabi, all committed about the same time. He is being held in lieu of bond set at $25,000.

DNA which was matched to Williams by the state crime lab was found at both Arabi burglaries he was booked with, the sheriff said.

In one burglary, blood found at the scene after the burglar apparently cut himself on a window that had been broken was matched to Williams’ DNA, said Col. John Doran, chief of operations for the Sheriff’s Office. There was also DNA at another burglary scene which was matched to the suspect.