Crime Blotter: Reported offenses in the Tri-parishes

Donkey wronged: Cut Off bestiality alleged

A hands-on approach by Lafourche Parish detectives resulted in evidence that led to the arrest of a Larose man, who is accused of violating a strict social taboo as well as Louisiana law in Cut Off.

Mario Vasconcelos, 34, 140 E. 7th St., Larose is being held in lieu of $37,500 bond for allegedly copulating with a donkey and a goat.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said his deputies initially received a report of trespassing at a property on La. 3235.

The investigation began in June when a Cut Off resident told deputies someone was trespassing on his property.

Detectives initiated an investigation and learned that a male suspect had entered a building on the property and was engaged in what authorities termed “crimes against nature.”

A Sheriff’s Office spokesman, Brennan Matherne, did not give specifics on how deputies came by that information other than to state it was part of the investigation.

A detective assigned to the case was charged with the task of collecting what authorities called “suspected human DNA evidence” from the goat and the donkey, both of which were female.

“The evidence was submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for DNA analysis,” a statement from Webre’s office says. “Detectives were later advised that a DNA match had been obtained from the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which identified Mario Vasconcelos as the suspect. Detectives also learned Vasconcelos had a warrant for contempt of court stemming from a 2011 domestic abuse case.”

Detectives spoke with Vasconcelos Saturday and he was taken into custody.

“During questioning, Vasconcelos admitted to four instances of copulating with livestock,” the statement reads. Upon questioning by a reporter, Matherne said the acts were committed on one individual donkey and one individual goat.

He was taken to the Lafourche Parish jail and booked on four counts of Crimes Against Nature, simple burglary and on the outstanding warrant.

Judge John LeBlanc set the bond.

Vasconcelos is also being held for the US Immigrations and Customs Service.

“I want to applaud the efforts of the detectives on this case, as well as the lab analysts at the State Police Crime Lab,” said Sheriff Webre. “Through their diligent and thorough work of gathering and analyzing the DNA evidence, we were able to identify and arrest the offender who ultimately confessed to these heinous crimes.”

Fourth suspect arrested in homicide

A fourth suspect is in custody of the Houma Police Department in connection to an Aug. 8 homicide on 526 Louise St.

Authorities said that Jabaar Celestine, 19, of Crozier Drive, Dularge, was also involved in the shooting, which killed Vincent Andrew Naquin.

When the information surfaced, HPD detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Celestine. He was taken at his residence without incident and taken to the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex.

Celestine is charged with second-degree murder and armed robbery.

Authorities said this week that the motive in the crime appears to be robbery. The investigation will continue.

Prior to apprehending Celestine, Kevone J. Cook, Treyvance Fanguy and LaMont James Nixon had all turned themselves into police on charges of second-degree murder and armed robbery.

No blow – suspect arrested after allegedly stealing crawfish

Eric Williams, 48, of 2203 St. Bernard Ave., Apt. C, in Thibodaux, was shortsighted in his getaway last week.

Thibodaux Police said Williams’ getaway was cut short last Wednesday as he attempted to flee a grocery store after nabbing crawfish tails from the establishment.

Williams quickly tried to flee the store, but his getaway couldn’t be successfully completed because he was too winded to blow into his ignition interlock device.

He eventually got the vehicle started and went about his way as store employees stood by taking pictures, according to authorities.

Police found Williams at his home a short time after.

He claimed to be at work during the incident.

The suspect was placed under arrest and charged with theft of goods.

Juvenile nabbed with weapon

A Thibodaux juvenile learned not to play with guns last week.

Thibodaux Police said that last Saturday they reported to the 1800 block of Badt Avenue after being called by a victim who claimed that a camouflage-clad teen pointed an assault rifle at him.

The juvenile was found a couple of miles away and was taken into custody.

The weapon in question was a air soft gun with its orange cap removed.

The juvenile is charged with aggravated assault, probation violation, curfew violation and Thibodaux City Ordinance uncontrollable violation.

Wanted suspect nabbed in Houma

Joseph Lafuentes III, 38, of 2115 Bayou Black Drive, Houma, had a crummy day at the airport last week.

On Aug. 16, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office contacted the Houma Police regarding Lafuentes on an outstanding warrant for indecent behavior with a juvenile.

During this conversation, HPD was informed that the suspect would be at the BP Heliport at the Houma/Terrebonne Airport between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. that day.

The tip was right – Lafuentes arrived at that time.

He was immediately taken into custody without incident.

Bond set for suspect in Thursday death

Bond has been set at $500,000 for a 51-year-old Morgan City man booked with second-degree murder.

Keith Allen Murphy was arrested Thursday. Police answering an early morning call about a fight at a residence found 57-year-old Robert Michael Gasek with severe head wounds.

Morgan City Police Chief Travis Crouch said Gasek died later in the morning and the cause of death is believed to be blunt force trauma.

Crouch told The Daily Review of Morgan City that Murphy had been living at Gasek’s residence on a temporary basis.

Murphy was being held at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center in Centerville.