[StBernard] Angola threat deters looters in St. Bernard

[Westley Annis]

Angola threat deters looters in St. Bernard
by Paul Rioux, The Times-Picayune 
Sunday August 31, 2008, 7:44 PM
St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stephens said his decision to bus any
looters to the state penitentiary at Angola appears to be deterring
post-evacuation crime.

Stephens said deputies have made just two arrests since a mandatory
evacuation order was issued Saturday afternoon.

"As soon as we announced we would be taking people to Angola, you could see
the dirtbags starting to leave the parish," he said at a news conference
this evening. "It was like somebody sprayed for roaches."

Stephens said he decided to transport arrestees to Angola because inmates
have been evacuated from the parish jail, which is being used as a Sheriff's
Office command center.

Thomas Battenburg, 38, of Arabi, was booked Saturday with burglary and
criminal trespassing after he allegedly broke into an Arabi house.

The owner came home to find the front door kicked in and saw a man run out
the back door, Stephens said. He said deputies arrested the suspect, later
identified as Battenburg, after a brief chase.

"We got a match from Battenburg's footprint on the door, and another
neighbor identified him as having tried to break into his house as well,"
Stephens said.

Kelcy Price, 59, of Ponchatoula, was booked with felony theft after he was
allegedly caught stealing copper Saturday at the Chalmette Refinery.

Both men were transported to Angola today.

"Once you get up there, who knows when you'll get back," Stephens said.
"There's a lot of paperwork involved, and the storm will probably set things
back even farther."