Sheriff: House ransacked, intruder arrested

Published 8:55 am Thursday, October 15, 2020

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A Washington Parish man was arrested last week on charges related to an alleged home intrusion, according to Chief Deputy Mike Haley of the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Haley said that WPSO Sgt. Mike Thomas responded to a report of a disturbance in a rural area southwest of Franklinton on Friday, Oct. 9. Upon arriving at the residence, Thomas reportedly discovered a male on the premises had entered the occupied house without permission by climbing through a window and had ransacked the house and destroyed property. Deputy Randall Garcia arrived to assist.

The intruder, Wesley Bernard Williams, 33, a resident of Mike Fisher Road, was arrested and transported to the Washington Parish Jail. He was charged with unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling, criminal damage to property, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear in court. His bond was set at $3,550.

Haley said that Williams has two previous arrests in Washington Parish. In June of 2007, he was charged with unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling and in November of 2010, he was arrested and charged with criminal trespass, simple battery and being a fugitive from Louisiana’s 23rd Judicial District Court.

“A prompt response from Sgt. Thomas and Deputy Garcia resulted in a quick arrest,” Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal said. “We may never know what gave rise to the intruder’s decision to do what he did. We do know, however, the homeowner was protected and it is always our goal to protect victims of crime.”