Shortly before 11:30 p.m. on Friday authorities captured an 18-year-old Independence man accused of kidnapping and rape.
After a search that included partners from Hammond Police, Independence Police, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, Rayborn Correctional K-9 team, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Air Support, law enforcement captured suspect Donnie Lee Stevenson in a wooded area off Mashon Road west of Independence.
Stevenson is accused of kidnapping a woman from a Hammond retail store, forcing her to drive away, and then sexually assaulting her on Thursday.
Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron said this was an isolated case, emphasizing that the Hammond area doesn’t typically see incidents like this.
