[StBernard] Kenner woman concocts elaborate story to avoid returning $100 to Chalmette man

[Westley Annis]

Kenner woman concocts elaborate story to avoid returning $100 to Chalmette
man

Print By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
on May 30, 2013 at 11:11 AM, updated May 30, 2013 at 1:11 PM

A Kenner woman was arrested in St. Bernard Parish after allegedly making up
an elaborate story to avoid giving back about $100 to a Chalmette man who
had loaned her his wallet. Destinie Hammond, 22, told the man that she
didn't have the money anymore because she had been forced into a van, groped
by four men and robbed, according to the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office.

Hammond even reported that tale to the Sheriff's Office. Hammond was
arrested on Monday with misdemeanor theft of the money and criminal mischief
for the false report.

The Chalmette man allegedly had given his wallet to Hammond because she was
going to the store to buy groceries. But when she came back, she was
supposed to return whatever she had not spent there, according to the
Sheriff's Office.

But instead of returning the about $100 that remained in his wallet, the
woman filed the report about being thrown into the van, getting sexually
assaulted and robbed, according to the Sheriff's Office.

After filing that report, Hammond was taken to the St. Bernard Parish
Hospital to be examined. Once there, her clothes were collected as evidence
to investigate her assault claims.

But, as her clothes were being collected, a crumpled $20 bill fell from one
of her pockets and more money was found within her pockets that matched the
denominations and total amount she had claimed was stolen after her assault,
St. Bernard Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann said.

Sheriff's Deputy Jeffery Westerfield questioned her, and Hammond allegedly
admitted that she had lied about the whole incident in order to keep the
money, Pohlmann said.

The victim was given his money back but he still wanted to press charges,
according to the Sheriff's Office.

The St. Bernard Sheriff's Office on Thursday also announced two other
arrests - one involving a Gonzales man who was booked with several car
burglaries in Chalmette and another involving an Arabi man who was booked
with a business burglary.

Vincent Paola, 27, of Gonzales, was booked May 22 with three vehicle
burglaries, according to the Sheriff's Office. He was arrested at a St.
Bernard pawnshop as he was attempting to pawn some of the recently stolen
items, which included some tools.

In the other burglary case, Elroy West, 48, of Arabi, was arrested on May 18
after the Sheriff's Office was called to an Arabi business where a burglar
alarm had sounded about 3:30 a.m. The business had been burglarized and
ransacked, with various items thrown on the floor including a drawer from a
missing end table, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Deputy Jason Spadoni, looking for a possible suspect, allegedly found West
walking eastbound on the western shoulder of St. Bernard Highway, carrying
an end table on his head.

It was missing a drawer, according to the Sheriff's Office. West was booked
with burglary, possession of stolen property, and criminal damage to
property.