[StBernard] Sheriff examines generator mystery

[Westley Annis]

Sheriff examines generator mystery
FBI found it sitting unused in empty lot 
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
By Karen Turni Bazile
St. Bernard/Plaquemines bureau 

Federal investigators have discovered a generator strong enough to power a
small trailer park sitting unused in a vacant lot in Chalmette. 

Now, they're trying to find out how it got there and why St. Bernard Parish
government doesn't know much about it. 

The FBI called the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office Tuesday morning to ask the
agency to follow up on the generator, bought by the parish using money from
the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The generator was never reported by
the parish as missing or stolen, said Col. Richard Baumy, a Sheriff's Office
spokesman. 

The generator, which Baumy said is worth about $80,000 but a parish official
said is worth much less, was found in an empty lot near the corner of Law
and Laviosier streets in the Versailles Industrial Park. "Somebody
apparently had dumped it there," Baumy said. 

A wrecker had to be called to move it to the parish government complex. 

Larry Ingargiola, St. Bernard's director of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness, said he did not know where that generator had been used or
when it might have disappeared. Although his responsibilities include
managing generators during emergencies, Ingargiola said it isn't his job to
follow up on the whereabouts of such equipment. 

"It's not my department," Ingargiola said, referring questions to Parish
President Henry "Junior" Rodriguez and the parish's director of public
works, Chris Merkl. Neither Rodriguez nor Merkl could be reached for comment
Tuesday. 

Council Vice Chairman Joey DiFatta, who learned of the stolen generator
Tuesday from a news reporter, said he was sure parish administrators would
cooperate with the Sheriff's Office to find out what happened. 

Baumy said the Sheriff's Office's detective bureau is investigating. 

"Obviously, this generator came from somewhere," DiFatta said. "I'm sure the
parish will help with all aspects of the investigation so we can resolve
this issue. I'm not sure why it wasn't reported as missing. If it wasn't
reported, that's an issue. We have to find out why it wasn't reported" as
missing. 

. . . . . . . 

Karen Turni Bazile can be reached at kturni at timespicayune.com or (504)
826-3335.