On October 24, 2020, the Hammond Police Department began investigating a rape.
During the investigation, 23 YO Laqonte Turner Jr. of Hammond, was identified as a suspect and warrants were issued for his arrest for Second Degree Rape. Turner was also being sought by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office for Accessory to Murder.
Turner was known to law enforcement as being a member of the La Familia gang, and it is believed that the gang was assisting Turner in evading arrest.
During the nearly one-year long search for Turner, several agencies assisted in attempting to locate him, including the Bogalusa Police Department, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshalls.
The case came to an end on August 10, 2021, when the Hammond Police Department Street Crimes Unit conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on Highway 190 West. Turner was in the vehicle and attempted to give a false name, trying to evade arrest. HPD Officers recognized Turner and confirmed his active arrest warrants.
He was taken into custody without incident.
He was booked on his warrants for Second Degree Rape through the HPD and was also booked as a fugitive from the TPSO and the Covington Police Department.
