02. May 2025
Today, May 2nd, Judge David Ritchie sentenced Dartanyan K. Breaux, 59, Lake Charles, to life in prison on an Aggravated Rape conviction. This sentence is without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. 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...
24. April 2025
On April 10th, Judge Bobby Holmes sentenced David K. Ware, 49, Lake Charles, to 3 years prison, suspended, and 3 years supervised probation on 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. Assistant District Attorneys David Guidry and Jordan Sutterfield prosecuted the case for...
24. April 2025
On April 17th, Judge Lee Hoffoss sentenced Josue M. Soto-Rodriguez, 31, Lake Charles, to life in prison on a First Degree Rape charge. Soto-Rodriguez was found Guilty as Charged by a jury on April 1st. In 2022, Soto-Rodriguez forced the victim, who was six years old at the time of the crime, to perform oral sex on him. Deputy Chief of Litigation Taylor Alexander and Assistant District Attorney Kadence Huber prosecuted the case for the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office.
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...