A sixteen-year-old male has been arrested on a charge of Attempted-First-Degree murder in connection with a drive-by shooting in January that led to another young person being injured. The drive-by shooting happened January 3 at the intersection of Lewis Street and East Maple Avenue.

Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot, via press release, is expressing his frustration with the status of juvenile justice in the state of Louisiana.

He says between juvenile justice reform and Covid, the 16-year-old arrested in connection with this drive-by shooting, has many other arrests on his record. He points to this young male's juvenile life sentence in 2019 for his part in two burglaries were guns and ammunition was taken. He says the teen should have been in the juvenile justice system until the age of twenty-one, but because of the reforms, and Covid, he was released early.

He is also facing other charges including Felony Possession With Intent to Distribute Controlled Dangerous Substances because Fontenot says they found he had marijuana and synthetic marijuana on his person.

Two other people were charged in connection with this case already. Fontenot says that De'Mante Gallow and Jerwasky Thomas were both arrested previously for their alleged involvement in this case.

Fontenot goes on to add that the 16-year-old has been arrested in connection with allegations of involvement in other crimes including:

  • Drug Violations in 2018
  • Shoplifting in August 2017
  • Theft in December 2016
  • Two counts of Simple Burglary (guns and ammo stolen) in August 2019
  • Illegal Possession of Handguns In July 2019

The teen was released to his parents, and according to the press release, "allowed to return home after being booked......because of the lack of facilities to detain juveniles and the state's unwillingness to detains juveniles for parole violations."

 

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