11. April 2025
Yesterday, April 10th, Dartanyan K. Breaux, 59, Lake Charles, was found Guilty as Charged of Aggravated Rape. In 1988, Breaux broke into the victim’s home through her bedroom window. Once he entered the home, he brutally beat the victim and raped her. The rape kit that was taken from the victim in 1988 was retested in 2023 which resulted in a positive finding of seminal fluid from Breaux. “Thanks to advancements in DNA technology, justice has finally been served in a case that has haunted a...
02. April 2025
On April 1st, Josue M. Soto-Rodriguez, 31, Lake Charles, was found guilty as charged on one (1) count First Degree Rape. In 2022, Soto-Rodriguez forced the victim, who was six years old at the time of the crime, to perform oral sex on him. Soto- Rodriguez is facing a mandatory life sentence. Sentencing will be held on April 17th before Judge Lee Hoffoss. Deputy Chief of Litigation Taylor Alexander and Assistant District Attorney Kadence Huber prosecuted the case for the Calcasieu Parish...
02. April 2025
On March 31st, David K. Ware, 49, Lafayette, was found guilty as charged of two (2) counts Forgery. In 2022, Ware forged two checks by changing the name of the payee to his own name. Ware cashed both checks at two different banks within a thirty-minute timeframe. The total amount of money Ware received from cashing the checks was $4,467.36. Ware will be sentenced on April 10th before Judge Bobby Holmes. Assistant District Attorneys David Guidry and Jordan Sutterfield prosecuted the case for the...
25. March 2025
On March 21st, Judge David Ritchie found Derrick J. Cotlong, 45, Lake Charles, to be a second or subsequent Habitual Offender. In September of 2024, Cotlong was found guilty as charged on one (1) count Violation of a Protective Order-2nd Offense; and two (2) counts Resisting an Officer with Force or Violence. Judge David Ritchie sentenced Cotlong to four (4) years in prison on the Violation of a Protective Order-2nd Offense charge; and six (6) years in prison on each of the two (2) counts of...
25. March 2025
On March 21st, Judge David Ritchie sentenced Terrance D. Haywood, 42, Lake Charles, to fifty (50) years in prison one (1) count Attempted Second Degree Murder; forty (40) years in prison on one (1) count Obstruction of Justice; and twenty (20) years in prison on one (1) count Possession of a Firearm or Carrying of a Concealed Weapon by a Person Convicted of Certain Felonies. The sentences are to run consecutively for a total of one hundred and ten years (110) years in prison. In 2020, Haywood...
28. February 2025
Today, February 28th, Kevin E. Williams, 26, Lake Charles, was found Guilty as Charged of Second Degree Murder; and Obstruction of Justice to Second Degree Murder. In 2023, Williams planned an armed robbery. Once Williams met with the victim to rob him, he fatally shot the victim in the head. Williams faces life in prison. Sentencing will be held before Judge Kendrick Guidry on April 10th. First Assistant District Attorney Jacob Johnson and Chief of Litigation Charles Robinson prosecuted the...
24. February 2025
On February 21st, Joshua C. Boyd, 42, Lake Charles, was found Guilty of Molestation and Sexual Battery of Victim Under Thirteen. In 2021, the victim, age ten at the time of the crime, disclosed to a school teacher that Boyd had been sexually abusing her for several years. Boyd is facing a sentencing range of twenty-five (25) to ninety-nine (99) years on each charge. Sentencing for Boyd will be held February 27, 2025, before Judge Joseph Pousson. Assistant District Attorneys Taylor Alexander and...
14. February 2025
Today, February 14th, Judge Joseph Pousson sentenced Zyterius T. Anderson, 22, Lake Charles, to twenty (20) years in prison on one (1) count Possession of a Firearm or Carrying of a Concealed Weapon by a Person Convicted of Certain Felonies; seven (7) years in prison on one (1) count Illegal Use/Possession/Control of Weapons-Crime of Violence or Controlled Dangerous Substance; and life in prison on each of the two (2) counts of Second Degree Murder. This sentence is to be ran concurrently and...
06. February 2025
Today, February 6th, Zyterius T. Anderson, 22, Lake Charles, was found Guilty as Charged of one (1) count Possession of a Firearm or Carrying of a Concealed Weapon by a Person Convicted of Certain Felonies; one (1) count Illegal Use/Possession/Control of Weapons-Crime of Violence of Controlled Dangerous Substance; and two (2) counts Second Degree Murder. In 2022, Anderson shot at and killed two men he was meeting to exchange drugs. Anderson will be sentenced on March 26, 2025, before Judge...
05. February 2025
Today, February 5th, Judge Michael Canaday sentenced Kayla S. Gaugh, 33, Lake Charles, to 20 years in prison without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence on one count of Operating While Intoxicated-4th Offense. In 2021, Gaugh was driving a vehicle at a high-rate speed and crossed the center line on the road multiple times. Gaugh proceeded to fail the field sobriety test and had a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level above the legal limit. "Driving under the influence is a...