5 inmates charged in beatings at parish jail

Five inmates at the parish jail were charged Thursday in an altercation where they repeatedly hit two other inmates, breaking the arm of one of the inmates, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert said in a news release.
At 10:17 a.m. Thursday, five inmates incarcerated at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center were charged in an altercation.
Alton Kemp, 27, of Centerville, was charged with two counts simple battery. Shane Daniels, 28, of Franklin, was charged with two counts aggravated battery. Courtney Richardson, 29, of Franklin, was charged with aggravated battery and simple battery. Javante Jackson, 19, of Franklin, was charged with two counts simple battery. Joseph Cagnolatti, 19, of Morgan City, was charged with two counts simple battery.
Deputies began an investigation into an altercation that occurred in a dorm on Aug. 16 during a cleaning detail. A deputy on guard at the dorm responded to the altercation, calling additional deputies to the location. Upon entering the dorm, deputies located two inmates with injuries. The 19-year-old and 38-year-old victims were treated by medical personnel and transported to a local hospital, Hebert said.
During the investigation, deputies identified Kemp, Jackson, and Cagnolatti as the inmates who struck the victims with their fists repeatedly, the sheriff said.
Daniels and Richardson broke a mop handle located in the dorm during the cleaning detail and also struck the victims. The 38-year-old victim sustained a broken arm. Both inmates were later released from the hospital and remain incarcerated, Hebert said.
This altercation marks the second one at the parish jail in the past week in which charges have been filed. On Aug. 15, seven different inmates at the parish jail were charged with second degree battery stemming from an Aug. 14 incident.
The inmates arrested in that incident included Ryan Carr, 23, of Baldwin; Jameon Jack, 32, of Franklin; Darius Jackson, 25, of Franklin; Spencer Bourda, 23, of Franklin; Ezekiel Anderson, 22, of Franklin; Quintal Davis, 34, of Morgan City; and Jonathan Robinson, 34, of Franklin.
At about 2:30 p.m. Aug. 14, deputies at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center responded to a disturbance in one of the dorms. Deputies observed a 46-year-old inmate with injuries to his head and face, Hebert said in a news release.
Deputies transported the victim to Franklin Foundation Hospital for treatment. During the subsequent investigation, deputies determined that the seven offenders struck the victim in the head and face, Hebert said.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Traci Landry said authorities do not believe the two incidents are connected and have not determined a possible motive yet for the attacks.