Louisiana news briefs

Jindal signs harsher penalties for referee attacks
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Parents who attack referees at their children’s athletic events will face toughened penalties.
Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office announced Monday the governor has signed a bill increasing punishment for conviction of the misdemeanor crime of battery of a school or recreation contest official.
The crime had carried a fine up to $500 and a prison sentence up to six months.
The measure by Republican Rep. Cameron Henry, of Metairie, sets a minimum sentence of five days in jail. If the referee receives a serious bodily injury, the prison sentence is at least 10 days. The minimum fine also was raised to at least $1,000.
Anger management classes or other court-ordered counseling also will be required.
The new law takes effect Aug. 1.

Off-duty deputy killed
ABBEVILLE (AP) — An off-duty south Louisiana sheriff’s deputy was found shot to death Monday shortly after he called in a report about two suspicious people.
The patrol deputy’s name was not immediately released. The shooting happened just south of Abbeville. Several law enforcement agencies, including Louisiana State Police, were searching for the suspects, who were considered armed and dangerous.
Vermilion Sheriff Mike Couvillon said in a news release that the deputy was mowing grass on Monday afternoon when he phoned the Sheriff’s Office to report seeing two suspicious people. Another deputy dispatched to the area found the off-duty deputy fatally shot.
Hammons said the deputy had been shot more than once. He died at Abbeville General Hospital.

Jennings police officer wounded by gunshot
JENNINGS (AP) — A Jennings police officer was shot in the neck Monday after responding to a domestic disturbance call.
Officer Ricky Benoit was in stable condition after being airlifted to a Lafayette hospital.
Police Chief Todd D’Albor said, “The location of the gunshot is in an area that is very sensitive, but he is alert and in good spirits,” D’Albor said.
Jennings’ Deputy Police Chief Danny Semmes said a suspect was in custody.
Benoit, a 25-year veteran of the Jennings Police Department, was shot while attempting to speak to a man inside a residence.
Police had been called to the residence in response to a fight between a boyfriend and girlfriend, D’Albor said.

3 rescued off island
NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard says it has rescued three people from an island on Chandeleur Sound.
In a news release, the Coast Guard says the rescue followed a call about a boat that overturned in bad weather.
A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans located the three around 2 a.m. Monday. The three, including a 73-year-old man, were hoisted from Freemason Island. No injuries were reported.

Sex-trafficking victims rescued
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The FBI in New Orleans says three juveniles have been rescued in Louisiana as part of a nationwide operation targeting child sex trafficking.
In Louisiana, in addition to the recovery of the three juveniles, “Operation Cross Country” resulted in the arrest of 16 pimps and 75 prostitutes.
A news release from the New Orleans FBI office said the operation included enforcement in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Shreveport and Monroe.
The FBI says that, nationwide, agents and local police in the last week rescued 168 victims of child sex trafficking.

Former Jennings police
chief gets 5 year sentence
JENNINGS (AP) — A former Jennings police chief has been sentenced to five years at hard labor with credit for time served after taking drugs and money from the police department’s evidence room.
Johnny Lassiter, 53, was sentenced Monday by court-appointed Judge Ronald Cox.
Cox was appointed to the case after District Judge Steve Gunnell recused himself.
Lassiter pleaded guilty last November to two counts of malfeasance.
Cox sentenced Lassiter to five years at hard labor with credit for time served, but delayed the sentencing while he continues to undergo treatment in a federal program for veterans dealing with physical, mental and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Lassiter was arrested in January 2013 after a state police audit found $4,500 in cash,1,800 pills, more than 380 grams of cocaine, several pounds of marijuana and codeine missing from the evidence room.
His actions damaged 80 to 90 pending drug-related cases, according to Cox.

Lafourche council to
address boat launches trash
THIBODAUX (AP) — Lafourche Parish officials are urging residents to make an extra effort to keep local boat launches clean.
When residents don’t pick up their trash, parish Recreation Manager Jennifer Dufrene, says the boat launches turn into dump sites.
At today’s Parish Council meeting, Councilman Mike Delatte plans to introduce ordinances for signs that read, “No Dumping — $500 fine” at the Bill Taylor, Sanchez, Theriot, Larousse and Thibodaux boat launches.

Pickup driver dies
in collision with 18-wheeler
FOURCHON (AP) — State police say a 48-year-old man from Cut Off has been killed in a Lafourche Parish traffic accident.
It happened Monday afternoon on La. 3090 south of Fourchon. A pickup truck driven by Patrick Terrebonne crossed the center line and into the path of a tractor-trailer rig.
The driver of the big rig tried to avoid the crash by steering onto the shoulder but the pickup continued traveling across the road and the vehicles collided head-on.
Terrebonne was pronounced dead at the scene.

1 killed in single-car
accident in Iberia Parish
NEW IBERIA (AP) — Iberia Parish authorities said a 29-year-old New Iberia man has died in a single-vehicle crash.
Deputies say Joshua Hymel died at the scene of the crash on Monday.
Investigators say Hymel tried to pass a vehicle but veered off the road, struck a ditch and went airborne before hitting a tree.