St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s detectives are investigating an aggravated burglary which occurred Saturday morning on Winterberry Ct. in the River Oaks subdivision.

The female home owner, her nine year old son and several adult relatives were in the residence at approximately 9:30 Saturday morning when two unknown masked adult males entered the home and demanded an undisclosed amount of cash.

Due to statements made by the suspects during the burglary, it is believed they had prior knowledge of the family and their Honduran background (they have been in the United States for approximately one year) and that this residence was specifically targeted.

The two men ultimately left with a small amount of cash, multiple firearms, and some jewelry.  The suspects drove away in the female home owner’s car, a late model Mercedes Benz.  That vehicle was later found abandoned in the Pearl River area.

The suspects are adult males – one is approximately 6’ tall, the other is approximately 5’7” tall.  Anyone with information about this case is asked to call 911.  Detective Daniel Buckner is the case agent.

Deputies began an investigation into an individual that led to his arrest and two others after they were found to be in possession of property stolen in a rash of vehicle burglaries.

Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Division started an investigation last week into the activities of Miles Hursey.  Hursey, who is currently on parole for burglary, was thought to be involved in an ongoing series of car burglaries in the Slidell area that has been occurring since January of this year.

After midnight on May 3^rd, Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office and agents with the Louisiana Office of Probation and Parole executed a search warrant at Hursey’s home located at 67185 Yupon St., Pearl River.  The search uncovered thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen property.  Among these items were a four-wheeler, 3 handguns, several laptop computers, GPS devices, several sets of vehicle keys, various power tools and cell phones.

Evidence located in Hursey’s home led deputies to two different residences.  A consensual search of Jeff Fuller’s home uncovered another stolen four-wheeler and a stolen firearm from Jefferson Parish.  NEWS

Deputies and an agent from State Probation and Parole searched Ian Knight’s home.  Knight, who is on both probation and parole for drug distribution charges, was found to be in possession of a ballistic vest stolen from a federal agent and other personal property.

After collecting all of the various stolen items, detectives from the Sheriff’s Office began the task of identifying the owners.  Investigators with the Slidell Police Department were contacted to see if any of the recovered items may have come from burglaries inside the city limits of Slidell.

After collaboration by investigators with both agencies, it is believed that the property is the result of approximately 60 vehicle and residential burglaries in eastern St. Tammany.

The investigation is still ongoing and there may be additional individuals arrested and more charges to follow.  Detectives with both agencies are now trying to identify the owners of items not yet claimed or identified.

Residents who believe they may have had property stolen as a result of these burglaries should contact the Sheriff’s Office investigations division at 985-726-7820.

Arrestees’ information and current charges:

Miles J. Hursey – 67185 Yupon Drive, Pearl River (W/M – DOB: 12-29-88)
14:69 – Illegal possession of stolen things
14:69.1 – Illegal possession of stolen firearms
14:95.3 – Unlawful use of body armor
14:95.7 – Possession of or dealing in firearms with obliterated numbers
14:95.1 – Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
14:95.11 – Illegal supplying of a felon with a firearm
14:95E - Illegal carrying of a firearm during a crime
40:966E - Possession of marijuana
40:1023 – Possession of drug paraphernalia
14:62 – Simple burglary (5 cts) 

Jeff M. Fuller – 38196 Tammany St., Slidell (W/M – DOB: 9-8-88)
14:69.1 – Possession of stolen firearms
40:1238.3 – Obtaining a legend drug by fraud
14:69 – Possession of stolen things 

Ian P. Knight – 46 E. Pinewood Dr., Slidell (W/M – DOB: 8-9-88)
14:95.3 – Unlawful use of body armor
14:69 – Possession of stolen things

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s detectives have arrested a Covington area woman and an ex-boyfriend for the aggravated rape of the woman’s biological daughter.

“The investigation began earlier this month after the child notified school officials that she had been the victim of abusive sexual behavior by her mother and one of her mother’s ex-boyfriends,” Sheriff Jack Strain said.

School officials notified the Sheriff’s office and the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.  The girl was immediately taken into custody by DCFS.  Interviews with the girl were conducted by the Children’s Advocacy Center.

“Over the course of the investigation, detectives learned that the man and woman both participated in the acts, which occurred over a number of years, beginning when the girl was five years old,” Strain said.

The last occurrence was reported to have been approximately one year ago.

The man has cooperated with detectives and has provided information consistent with the victim’s statements.  The woman has thus far refused to make any statements to investigators.

Each of them has been booked with one count of aggravated rape.  Their bonds have been set at $300,000 apiece.  Both are still being held in the St. Tammany Parish Jail with the possibility of additional charges being filed.

The St. Tammany Parish Deputy Sheriff’s Association recently donated $1,000 to Lowes store’s Muscular Dystrophy fundraising drive.

Lowe’s, a long-time supporter of the Deputies Association’s annual Senior Citizens Christmas luncheon, recently began raising money for their annual Muscular Dystrophy fund drive.  This effort is designed to raise money to send a local child on a grant-a-wish trip to Disney World.

The Deputies Association voted at their last meeting to make a $ 1,000 donation to show our appreciation for their support and to help sponsor a local child’s trip.

In addition to the senior’s luncheon, the Deputies Associations holds numerous philanthropic events throughout the year, including distribution of Thanksgiving baskets, the award of four $ 1,000 scholarships, an annual Easter egg hunt open to all residents and contributions to other non-profit charities.  The association’s primary source of funds comes from member dues.

Anyone interested in supporting or contributing to the Deputies’ Association can visit their web-site at www.stdsa.org.

Pictured in photo (L to R) are: Robert Conary, Chad Davis, Lavert Mizell, Ashley Rojas, Milton “Buddy” McVille, Bill Easterling (shaking hands with Maj. Jarrell), Jason Thomas, Maj. Joe Jarrell, Ellery Wheat, Jody Manton, and Anthony “A.J.” Anglin.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputies are attempting to locate the driver of an older model, black Ford pickup truck in connection with a report of an attempted abduction yesterday evening in the parking lot of the Lowes home improvement store in Covington.

Sheriff’s deputies received a call just after 6:00 p.m. yesterday from a 20 year old female store employee who reported a man driving the truck attempted to lure her into the vehicle as she was waiting outside the store for her ride home to arrive.  The employee told deputies the man displayed a handgun as he was attempting to get her to enter the truck.  The woman reported that the man quickly drove away when she ran toward the entrance to the store yelling for help.

The man was described to deputies as a white male, approximately 60 years old, grey hair with goatee, droopy/bushy eyebrows, wearing a Hawaiian style shirt.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 911.

In 2012, the Louisiana legislature passed Act 836, mandating additional research and notification requirements related to late property tax bills. The tax collectors in each parish have been tasked with performing these additional duties.

As a result of this new law, the Sheriff’s office will now contract a third party to research any and all entities and/or individuals with an “interest” in properties with delinquent property tax bills. A certified notice of the late bill will then have to be sent to those found during the research. An interest in the property could be mortgage companies, tax sale parties, or heirs, for example.

The Sheriff’s office will assess an additional $35 research fee to all overdue property tax bills this year to cover these costs mandated by the state. The costs associated with any certified mailings will also be passed on to the property owner.

The Sheriff’s office has identified some properties that could accumulate hundreds of dollars in extra fees if the tax bill becomes delinquent.

St. Tammany residents have until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 1^st to pay their tax bill and avoid these extra fees. Bills become delinquent at 4:30 p.m. that day and these fees will apply even if the bill is paid the following day. 

Property tax bills may be paid using one of the following methods:

In person today or Monday: Justice Center – 701 N. Columbia St., Covington – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
In person today or Monday: Sheriff’s complex – 300 Brownswitch Rd, Slidell – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Online: www.stpsopayments.com – anytime until 4:30 p.m. Monday

The on-site office locations will be closed on Good Friday!

Any property owner with questions about their bill may call 985-809-8217.

An estranged boyfriend from New York shoots his ex-girlfriend and her father at a Covington area home.

Arrestee: Stephen Krell – 121 Kingspark Dr., Apt. K, Liverpool, New York (W/M – D.O.B. 05/09/64).

Last night at around 10:15 PM, the Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from an address on Fitzsimmons Rd. in the Covington area.  The caller reported that her daughter and husband had been shot by the daughter’s estranged boyfriend, Stephen Krell.

Deputies arrived at the address and found the female victim lying inside the home’s kitchen area with a gunshot wound to the chest.  Her father’s head had been grazed by a bullet that Krell fired at him after shooting his ex-girlfriend.  The female was airlifted by Acadian Ambulance Service to a south shore hospital.  The father refused treatment at the scene.

Krell fled the scene following the shooting and drove to the nearest law enforcement office that he knew, State Police Troop L, where he surrendered himself.  Troopers held Krell in their office until deputies arrived.

The initial investigation surrounding the shooting has revealed that Krell drove to the home of the victim and her parents where he parked his vehicle away from the residence.  Krell waited on the porch of the home for his ex-girlfriend to return from church.

When the ex-girlfriend returned, Krell approached her as she exited her vehicle.  Krell shot the ex-girlfriend and then, according to Krell, turned the gun on himself in an attempt to commit suicide.  Krell stated that the gun malfunctioned and, as he was inserting a new magazine into the gun, the victim’s father exited the residence.  Upon seeing the father, Krell turned the gun and fired at him.

There is a history of domestic violence involving Krell and the victim.  Krell was arrested by deputies on Christmas day of 2012 for domestic abuse battery following an altercation with the victim while the couple was in town visiting family.

The victim later returned to St. Tammany Parish after leaving Krell and has reported several incidents of harassing phone calls and one incident where Krell showed up at her parents’ residence unannounced. 

Deputies obtained a warrant for stalking and helped the victim seek a protective order.  The victim obtained the protective order and Krell was located by the Ononadaga County Sheriff’s Office in New York where he was served on Feb. 26^th, 2013.

Krell continued to contact the victim via phone calls, Facebook, and even game apps for smart phones.  Another warrant was obtained for violation of a protective order for his refusal to cease communication with the victim. 

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office lead domestic violence investigator has been handling this case since the 18^th of February and has been in communication with the Ononadaga County Sheriff’s Office in an effort to stop the harassment.

The victim is currently in guarded condition at a south shore hospital.  Krell, who has been cooperating with investigators, has been booked into the parish jail on the following charges:

LRS 14:27/30 – Attempted first degree murder (2 counts)

LRS 14:79 – Violation of protective order (Warrant arrest from previous incident)

LRS 14:40.2 – Stalking (Warrant arrest from previous incident)

“This could easily have been a horrific tragedy with the loss of two family members. We are very grateful that, at this point, it appears the victim will survive this attack,” Sheriff Strain said. “While some domestic violence incidents are simply unpreventable, we will continue to do everything in our power to protect victims and ensure they get the help and support they need,” Strain said.

***Krell’s bond has been set at $400,000***

The following is a copy of a news release sent to the media over the weekend.  The original release reflected Afghanistan, not Iraq.  This is a corrected version, which we sent as an update..

A St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputy shot an Abita Springs area man last night while responding to a domestic violence call at his residence.

The man has been identified as Jason Glover (28260 Hwy 435, Abita Springs – DOB: 1/12/1981).

At approximately 11:00 p.m. last night, the Sheriff’s office received a 911 call from Glover’s girlfriend who reported that he had threatened to kill her and was armed with a handgun.

When deputies arrived, they found Glover sitting in his vehicle outside the residence.  As Glover exited the vehicle, the deputies could see that he was armed with a handgun.  The deputies’ repeated calls for him to drop the weapon were ignored.  Glover instead raised the gun and pointed it directly at one of the deputies.  When he did so, the deputy fired at Glover, striking him twice.

Glover was transported to LSU Interim Public Hospital in New Orleans where early this morning he was reported to be on life support.

As with all deputy-involved shootings, both criminal and internal investigations will be conducted. The deputy will be given the opportunity to receive counseling and receive time off, if needed.

Glover served in the early part of the war in Iraq, and was one of the first servicemen from St. Tammany to return with significant injuries sustained during the war.

“This is truly a tragic situation,” said Sheriff Strain.  “Since his return from Iraq, this young man has struggled greatly to adjust and to recover from his experience.  Sadly, he and his family were ultimately unable to find the help he truly needed.  Today, the thoughts and prayers of the Sheriff’s office go out to this family during their very difficult time,” Strain said.

A Covington area woman was awoken in the early morning hours by an armed intruder in her home.

Arrestee: Joseph Hall Rogers – 117 Willa Dr., Covington (W/M - D.O.B.  9/20/76) 

Around 1:40 this morning, a sleeping female resident in the Covington Country Club was startled to find an armed man in her bedroom doorway.  The man pointed the gun at the frighten woman who responded by screaming at him. 

The man, later identified as Joseph Rogers, retreated from the bedroom doorway while the woman retrieved a shotgun from her closet.  The woman went directly to her children’s rooms and checked on them before she pursued Rogers forcing him out of her home.  Once at the doorway of her home, the woman fired three rounds in Rogers’ direction.  All three rounds missed Rogers as he fled on foot.

Deputies along with a K-9 unit began to canvass the neighborhood for Rogers.  Short time later deputies located an intoxicated Rogers, who resisted arrest and was subsequently tased.  The woman was cleared of any possible charges related to the incident and Rogers was booked into the jail on the following charges:

LRS 14:62.8 – Home invasion
LRS 14:108 – Resisting an officer

His bond has not yet been set.

One man is dead and another has been hospitalized following a car crash on Transmitter Road in Lacombe this weekend.

A passerby called 911 to report the crash at approximately 2:00 a.m. Saturday morning.  Deputies were dispatched to the scene and found a 2012 Mazda 3 in the roadway.  Pieces of the automobile had scattered throughout a wide area near the intersection of Transmitter Rd. and Clesi Ave.

The driver and passenger were both extricated from the vehicle by Fire District 3 and transported to the Louisiana Medical Center & Heart Hospital in Lacombe.

Initial reconstruction of the crash indicates that the vehicle was travelling south on Transmitter Rd, when the driver lost control and exited the roadway to the right (east), impacting a tree on the side of the road.  The vehicle then came to rest back in the roadway.

The driver of the vehicle, a 62 year old Slidell area man, was later transported to Interim LSU Public Hospital in New Orleans.  The passenger, a 25 year old Lacombe area man, was pronounced dead at the hospital in Lacombe.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is on-going; however, speed is believed to be a factor.  Toxicology tests are pending.

Due to the condition of the driver, any citations and/or criminal charges will be issued at a later time.