LC man arrested in fatal stabbing at gas station
Lisa Addison
A Lake Charles man has been arrested in connection with a stabbing death on Gerstner Memorial Drive on Tuesday — the third homicide here so far this year.
Albert Pattum III, 39, was arrested on Wednesday and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center although no information was immediately available on his charges or the amount of his bond.
Lake Charles Police Sgt. Brenda Desormeaux said the incident happened at the Valero gas station Tuesday night.
Desormeaux said a local hospital contacted authorities around 10:30 p.m. to report a stabbing victim had been transported to their location.
The victim, Charles Edward Brown, 61, of Lake Charles succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 11:20 p.m., according to Desormeaux.
Authorities said Brown, along with others, had traveled to the gas station where he came into contact with Pattum.
An argument ensued and Pattum produced a knife and allegedly stabbed Brown, authorities said.
Pattum was arrested on Wednesday, with the Lake Charles Police SWAT team, the Calcasieu Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Investigation unit and the U.S. Marshals Violent Offenders Task Force assisting in his apprehension.
According to Deputy Chief Franklin Fondel, “We can confirm that this incident is in no way related to the homicide that occurred at the nearby Walmart Supercenter on Saturday, Jan. 23.”
In that incident, a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death at the Walmart on La. 14, which is located just behind the gas station.
Authorities arrested four girls, ages 12-14 in that case and all of them were booked into the Juvenile Detention Center. One is charged with second-degree murder and the other three are charged with principal to second-degree murder.
Special to the American Press