Deputy’s cousin sets fire to police cruiser
Published 1:50 pm Friday, February 11, 2022
- (Metro Creative Services)
A cousin to a St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy admitted setting fire to a police cruiser this week following a verbal altercation.
St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday patrol deputies responded to another deputy’s radio call for assistance after finding his fully-marked Dodge Charger Police car was on fire in the 200 block of W. Oakland Street St. in Rose.
As deputies arrived at the scene, the deputy assigned to the police unit was actively trying to extinguish the fire with a garden hose. Shortly after, the St. Rose Fire Department arrived, and after the fire was completely extinguished, it was determined the vehicle sustained heavy damage.
During the course of the investigation, detectives learned that the deputy had a verbal altercation earlier in the day with his cousin.When detectives located the cousin, he admitted to the incident and said he has been in and out of mental intuitions for years.
Based on the investigation, detectives were able to obtain sufficient evidence to secure a felony arrest warrant for Justin Snavely for simple arson and booked him into the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center.
