Three Avoyelles teens face more than 200 charges

Three teenagers will be arrested in connection with a large number of incidents that have occurred in Hessmer and other areas of the parish, Hessmer Police Chief Kenneth Smith told the Village Council Feb. 2.
The three teens were to be arrested this week, the police chief said Monday. “As of right now, they have 224 counts against them -- and that is just in Hessmer, and that is still a preliminary number,” Smith told the council.
The charges include burglary, theft, criminal damage to property, aggravated criminal damage to property, criminal mischief, arson, attempted arson and trespassing. A 17-year-old in the group also has charges of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Smith did not release the name of the 17-year-old or the two younger teens.
Smith says the charges stem from incidents that have been on-going for almost a year in Hessmer alone.
He said the teens broke into the old Hessmer High gym, Hessmer Town Hall and the back of the Hessmer Fire Station. At each place, a trash can was set on fire but burned itself out before causing any damage to the buildings.
They are also accused of breaking into at least 10 residences and several vehicles and damaging playground equipment at the park near the Village Hall.
“We are still doing all the paperwork and getting it organized,” Smith told the newspaper. “This has turned into a very large case. We are finding out about cases we didn’t even know about.”
Smith said the break in the case occurred when one of the boys was reportedly seen leaving the scene where windows were broken out of a house.
Mayor Travis Franks thanked the chief and his officers for their diligent work on the case.
The break-ins and vandalism over the past months were a driving factor in the village’s decision to use a state grant to install security cameras around the Village Hall, the community walking track, park and gymnasium.
The chief said the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office is also investigating some possible break-ins that may involve the same three teenagers.
Sheriff Doug Anderson refused to comment on the matter, other than to say the case is still under investigation.