Three Slidell area juveniles have been arrested and placed in the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center after they shot and injured a man outside his place of employment yesterday.

The Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call just after noon yesterday from an employee of Friction Stir Link, a business off Camp Villere Rd. in the Slidell area.  The caller reported that another employee had been struck in the head and had collapsed.  At the time, it was believed to be a work-place injury.

When medical and fire personnel arrived and examined the man, they called 911 again and reported an apparent gunshot wound to the man’s upper back.

Deputies were dispatched to the scene and immediately began canvassing the area.  A witness reported to one of the deputies that he saw three juveniles carrying two rifles enter a trail into a wooded area near his home.  The three juveniles were located at a residence near the other end of the trail.

Investigators interviewed the three boys, aged 12, 13 and 15, in the presence of their parents.  All three admitted to firing a .22 caliber rifle in the direction of the business.  Last night, the three boys were transported to the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center and each booked with one count of L.R.S. 14:39 – Negligent Injuring and one count of L.R.S. 14:94 – Illegal Use of Weapons.

The victim has been stabilized and remains at a southshore hospital.  His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office is trying to identify the driver of a truck that struck a private utility worker Monday morning.

The incident occurred around 7:10 a.m. Monday, May 7^th, on Lowe Davis Rd. near Covington when a tree cutting service was in the area clearing power lines.  Workers cladded in yellow reflective clothing set out orange traffic cones around their vehicle, which was equipped with yellow flashing strobe lights. 

As a worker returned to his work truck to retrieve some tools, he was struck in the back by the mirror of a passing truck.  The suspect fled the scene prior to deputies’ arrival.

The truck was described as an older model red/maroon GMC pickup.  Witnesses stated that they thought there was a stainless steel tool box in the bed of the truck.  There was no known damage to the truck, but witnesses indicated that the truck had metal side mirrors distinctive of an older model truck.

The truck was last seen leaving the scene and travelling west on Lowe Davis Rd., toward Covington.  The victim was transported to St. Tammany Parish Hospital and was later released with minor injuries. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 898-2338.

Sheriff’s Office investigators have obtained a second degree murder warrant for Calvin Jefferson (106 Trace Loop, Mandeville – DOB: 3/8/71).  Jefferson is the ex-husband of Nicole Jefferson, the Mandeville area mother of four whose body was discovered in a wooded area along I-12 Sunday evening.

The warrant was signed by the Honorable William “Rusty” Knight, 22nd J.D.C.

Deputies are currently searching for Jefferson, who is believed to be in the Lake Charles area.

Detectives opened a missing persons investigation Tuesday evening after speaking with Nicole’s mother.  She reported her daughter had not been seen since Sunday night.  Investigators began suspecting foul play in this case Wednesday, after statements made by Jefferson contradicted information gathered from other sources in the investigation.

The search for Nicole Jefferson was focused to southwestern St. Tammany Parish Wednesday as a result of information gathered during the investigation.  Deputies searching along the side of the interstate on four-wheelers located Jefferson in the woods, several feet inside the tree line.

Last year, after Nicole and Calvin were divorced, she moved from Bedford, Texas to St. Tammany Parish to be close to her mother.  Sometime after that, she allowed Calvin to move into her Greenleaves home to help with raising their four children.  The couple had a turbulent past, with three domestic abuse battery arrests of Calvin Jefferson in several jurisdictions.

Anyone with information about Calvin Jefferson’s whereabouts is urged to call 911.

The Sheriff’s Office is searching for a Mandeville area woman who was last seen by family members Sunday evening.

Nicole Veade Jefferson (W/F – 106 Trace Loop, Mandeville – DOB: 4/29/81) was reported missing by her mother Tuesday evening.

Jefferson has long, wavy brown hair and brown eyes.  She is 5’-5” tall and weighs 160 lbs.

Jefferson works as a TSA agent at Louis Armstrong International airport.  She was scheduled to report to work at 3:00 a.m. Monday.  She did not make it to work that morning and has not been seen there since.

Anyone with information about Jefferson’s whereabouts is asked to call 9-1-1.