Police: Woman sets fire during argument; no one injured

A 24-year-old Morgan City woman was charged this morning with aggravated arson for allegedly setting a fire at a Cardinal Street home after Morgan City police had told her earlier to leave the residence, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release. No one was injured in the fire.
—Kandace D. Francis, 24, of Greenwood Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:44 a.m. today on the charge of aggravated arson.
Officers responded to an address on Cardinal Street in regard to a report of a disturbance. When officers arrived, they located Francis who was reported to have been involved in a verbal disagreement with an occupant of the home.
Police instructed Francis to leave the home and to not return for the remainder of the night. A short time later, officers, along with the Morgan City Fire Department, responded back to the same address in regard to a call that Francis had started a fire at the residence, Blair said.
Officers arrived and learned that the fire had been put out with a garden hose before emergency responders arrived. Francis, who was believed to have fled the area, was located by officers moments later.
During the investigation, officers found evidence supporting the allegations that Francis had started the fire at the home. Several people were in the home at the time of the fire, but no one was injured. Francis was jailed with bail set at $30,000.
Blair reported the following arrests:
—Brennan N. Skinner, 23, of Grace Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 7:45 a.m. Tuesday on the charges of speeding 34 mph in a 15 mph school zone, improper turning, driving under suspension, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance laws (drug-free zone), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm while in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance and no vehicle insurance and a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of unauthorized use of an access card.
A patrolling officer observed a vehicle speeding through a school zone. After clocking the vehicle at 34 mph in the 15 mph zone, the officer attempted to catch up with the vehicle. The vehicle was observed making turns without using a turn signal.
The officer stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as Skinner. Skinner’s behavior made officers suspicious that he may be involved in illegal drug activity, Blair said. Police searched the vehicle and located suspected marijuana believed to be packaged for distribution.
The officer also located a scale and a loaded firearm, which Skinner was illegally in possession as a convicted felon. The location of the incident was also within the area of a local school in violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance laws. Skinner remains in jail on $29,050 bail.
—Roslyn Cortez, 24, of Second Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:41 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging her with probation violation.
Officers located Cortez at a home on Second Street where Cortez was arrested on an active warrant. Cortez was jailed.
—Deqwavia J. Hall, 29, of the 700 block of Versen Street in Berwick, was arrested at 1:56 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear on an attempted battery charge involving domestic violence.
Hill was transported from the Berwick Police Department Jail to the Morgan City Police Department regarding an active warrant held by the 6th Ward Morgan City Court.
Hall was booked into the Morgan City Jail and incarcerated.
—Brodney T. Williams, 26, of N Street in Patterson, was arrested at 3:20 p.m. Tuesday on two warrants for domestic abuse battery.
Williams was located on Egle Street where Williams was arrested on active warrants held by the Morgan City Police Department and 16th Judicial District Court.
The warrants were obtained from two separate incidents, one reported on Feb. 22 to the Morgan City Police Department and the other on April 26 to the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office. Both incidents were alleged domestic abuse battery.
Williams was transported to the Morgan City Jail and was booked and incarcerated.
—Jeremy C. Ledet, 43, of Keith Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:01 a.m. today on the charges of driving while intoxicated, improper turning (no turn signal), and no vehicle inspection sticker.
A patrolling officer observed a vehicle make an improper turn from Sixth Street onto Aucoin Street then from Aucoin Street onto Federal Avenue.
A traffic stop was conducted and the driver of the vehicle was identified as Ledet. During a traffic investigation, the officer discovered that the vehicle did not have a required motor vehicle inspection sticker.
Reports indicated that the officer suspected Ledet to have been drinking and believed that Ledet was intoxicated.
Ledet was arrested and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for further chemical testing. Ledet submitted to the Intoxilyzer 5000, yielding a blood alcohol concentration of 0.115 grams-percent.
Ledet was booked into the Morgan City Jail and incarcerated.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported responding to 35 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrest in east St. Mary Parish:
A 56-year-old Berwick woman and her nephew, an inmate in St. Mary Parish jail, were arrested Tuesday after detectives intercepted a package containing contraband meant for the nephew, Hebert said in a news release.
—Geraldine James, 56, of Homeland Street in Berwick, was arrested at 3:18 p.m. Tuesday on the charge of conspiracy to introduce contraband into a penal facility.
—Therold James, 31, of Bayou Vista, was additionally charged with conspiracy to introduce contraband into a penal facility at 5:44 p.m. Tuesday.
On Tuesday, detectives conducted an investigative operation with a correctional officer at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center after the officer reported that he was propositioned by an inmate to bring contraband into the jail.
The correctional officer met with Geraldine James at a location in Bayou Vista. Geraldine James gave the correctional officer a package and $200 with the intention that the officer give it to her nephew, inmate Therold James, Hebert said. The officer delivered the package and cash bribe to detectives as evidence in the investigation.
The package contained tobacco, a cell phone, and cell phone charger, Hebert said. Narcotics detectives then detained Geraldine James pending further investigation.
While speaking with her, detectives learned that Geraldine James brought the contraband to the correctional officer with the intention that the items be entered into the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center and brought to Therold James. Therold James remains incarcerated with no bail set. Geraldine James was booked into parish jail and released on $10,000 personal surety bail.
—A juvenile male, 16, of Franklin, was arrested at 1:32 p.m. Tuesday on the charge of theft. On May 16, a school resource officer received a complaint of a theft that occurred at the St. Mary Parish Alternative Program school in Verdunville.
During the investigation, the officer found evidence that the juvenile male stole over $200 in cash from a teacher’s purse in a classroom. The juvenile was released to a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings. A 15-year-old Berwick boy was arrested Monday on a theft charge, also in connection with the case.
Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported the following arrests:
—Jessica Comeaux, 23, of the 100 block of Sun Street in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 10 p.m. Tuesday on the charges of resisting an officer by giving false information and on an Iberia Parish drug court warrant for failure to appear. No bail is set.
—John Lejeune, 28, of the 100 block of St. Lucie Road in Branch, was arrested at 7:56 p.m. Tuesday on the charges of possession of Xanax, prohibited acts- buprenorphine, prohibited acts-methamphetamine and illegal possession of stolen things (2010 Chevy Camaro). No bail is set.
—Tanner Aucoin, 20, of the 200 block of Bowman Street in Berwick, was arrested at 6:58 p.m. Tuesday on four St. Mary Parish drug court warrants. No bail is set.
—Amber Beranek, 28, of the 100 block of Burchfield Lane in Berwick, was arrested at 4:14 p.m. Tuesday on the charge of theft by shoplifting (value $30.52) Beranek was released on bail.
—Deqwavia Hall, 29, of the 700 block of Versen Street in Berwick, was arrested at 11:14 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant for probation violation. No bail is set.
Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle reported no arrests.