Violet man booked with forcible rape of a juvenile Jul 2, 2009 - A Violet man has been booked on an arrest warrant charging forcible rape of a juvenile girl, which allegedly happened last December, St. Bernard Parish Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said. Byron Curtis, 22, was arrested Monday, June 29, on a warrant signed by a judge. He is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $100,000. The girl, 15 years old, alleged she was walking when she was pulled into a gutted home in eastern St. Bernard Parish and raped in December 2008. She told detectives from the sheriff’s Juvenile Division that she knew the first name of the man, whom she said she knew through a friend. The girl allegedly identified Curtis in a photo lineup and an arrest warrant was obtained from a judge.

Murphy Oil Plant Eemergency Response Drill Jul 1, 2009 - On Wednesday, July 1, the Murphy Oil USA refinery in Meraux held a coordinated drill to test emergency response plans, using a scenario of lightening striking a storage tank and causing an explosion and fire, which forced the deployment of the plant’s emergency response equipment and personnel. The Sheriff’s Office and the parish Fire Department participated in the exercise, including at the incident command center set up at a Murphy building. In one photo, Bill Turnage, in the red jump suit, of the Security division at Murphy, stands by as a spray of water is directed from a hose toward the storage tank that was on fire in the drill. Also, two workers direct the spray at the tank. Also shown are Murphy officials at the incident command center set up to handle the emergency. Maj. Mitch Roussell of the Sheriff’s Office sits at the table at left in the foreground. STEVE CANNIZARO PHOTOS.

Part of East St. Bernard Highway to close Wed., July 1 as Murphy Oil plant holds emergency response drill Jun 29, 2009 - On Wednesday, July 1, at about 10:30 a.m., lighting will strike a storage tank at a terminal at the Murphy Oil USA refinery in Meraux, causing an explosion and fire – but it will all be part of a coordinated drill to test emergency response plans. Part of East St. Bernard Highway in front of the oil plant will be closed for about two hours and traffic will be re-routed by the Sheriff’s Office, which will also take part in the emergency drill along with Murphy crews, the parish Fire Department and the parish Office of Emergency Preparedness in what is called a unified command exercise. The drill will test the plant’s procedures and processes for alert and notification, facility security, emergency response and crisis management, Murphy officials said. The exercise will include deployment of emergency response equipment and personnel. Murphy officials said they apologize for any inconvenience the drill causes the public and thank residents for their patience.

Alert action leads to arrest of two and recovery of a stolen truck and tools after following driver into N.O. Jun 28, 2009 - Alert action by a member of the sheriff’s Streets Crimes Unit who thought it suspicious two people in a business truck were unloading power tools and taking them into an Arabi pawn shop resulted in their arrests and recovery of a stolen vehicle and equipment after following the driver into New Orleans. Nathaniel Jean Pierre III, 27, and Patricia Walker, 41, both of New Orleans were each booked Monday, June 22, with possession of a truck stolen from a business and possession of stolen property taken in a business burglary, Sheriff jack Stephens said. Jean Pierre drove the vehicle into New Orleans as St. Bernard sheriff’s deputies followed him, then abandoned the vehicle and was arrested after a struggle on Choctaw Street in the Ninth Ward. Jean Pierre was also booked with battery on police, aggravated flight, resisting arrest and simple criminal damage, is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of $50,000 bond. Walker, whom Jean Pierre left outside a St. Claude A venue pawn shop in Arabi when he fled in the stolen truck, is also being held in jail, in lieu of $40,000 bond. She was arrested while running away. Cpl. Johnell Young of the Street Crimes Unit noticed the man and woman unloading power tools from a business truck and taking them into a pawn shop in Arabi near the Jackson Barracks National Guard base and thought it suspicious. He began running a check on the vehicle.  As Jean Pierre fled and left the woman, the officer learned from headquarters the truck was reported stolen out of New Orleans. Young and other members of the Street Crimes Unit followed Jean Pierre as he turned onto several streets in the Ninth Ward, nearly striking one vehicle before he abandoned the stolen truck on Andry Street and began running.  Jean Pierre was spotted by officers on Choctaw Street and was subdued after a struggle. The owner of the truck later identified recovered equipment as stolen from his warehouse.