CRIME & SAFETY
Special grand jury seated in BRPD street crimes corruption case
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A special grand jury has been convened to exclusively review criminal accusations against four Baton Rouge Police officers who were arrested last year. BRPD officers Doug Chustz, Todd Thomas, Troy Lawrence Sr. and Jesse Barcelona were arrested and accused of wrongdoing dating back to 2020.
Police searching for suspects in St. Gerard Avenue burglary
BATON ROUGE — Police are attempting to identify a group of people who burglarized a residence on St. Gerard Avenue. The group was last seen driving a tan Chevrolet Suburban on April 5 near St. Gerard Avenue near Annette Street, Baton Rouge Police Department burglary detectives said.
Apartment fire ruled accidental after occupant says 'they forgot they were cooking'
BATON ROUGE — Firefighters ruled an apartment fire on Gladiola Street accidental after a resident told investigators "they forgot they were cooking." Heavy smoke billowed from the complex in the 3600 block of Gladiola Street, off Stanford Avenue near Perkins Road. Firefighters were able to get a person out of the apartment unharmed.
Driver freed after spending 3 hours inside overturned tanker truck
BATON ROUGE, La. — Many crews in the Baton Rouge area came together to help a driver who was stuck inside an overturned tanker truck for three hours. The Central Fire Department was sent to a report of an overturned tanker truck with power lines and power poles down Friday at 7:26 p.m.
Southern University Student’s Family Seeks Answers One Month After His Tragic Murder
In January 2024, Ashanti McZeal, a senior at Prairie View A&M says cracking jokes over their college basketball teams and talking about midterms would be some of the last conversations she would share with her cousin, Jayrick Washington, a freshman at Southern University and A&M College. “This January was his...
Sauna allegedly tampered with causing fire at Club4Fitness, officials say
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The St. George Fire Department is seeking information regarding a fire that happened at Club4Fitness on Tuesday, April 16, officials said. According to firefighters, they responded to a fire at Club4Fitness located on 6576 Jones Creek Rd. When crews arrived, they found smoke coming from the wall in the men’s sauna. Charred wood and pipes were also discovered inside the walls, officials added.
Parents' wrongful death lawsuit in Madison Brooks saga put on hold while criminal cases play out
For the past 15 months, authorities have pursued criminal charges against four men accused of sexually assaulting a severely intoxicated Madison Brooks not long before the 19-year-old LSU sophomore was fatally struck by a car near her Baton Rouge apartment. The incident followed a night of drinking at Reggie's, a...
LSU Student organization 'takes back the night', raises money for domestic violence shelter
On April 16, LSU student organization Feminists in Action held their second annual “Take Back the Night” event to raise awareness about interpersonal violence. Over 330 attendees milled in the square created by two rows of tables beneath LSU’s Memorial Tower. At one table, FIA officers distributed free emergency contraception kits in both sparkly bags and discreet boxes. At another, volunteers handed out food and sold shirts.
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