South Carolina Fugitive Nabbed in Evangeline Parish

Ville Platte, LA – Early this morning at approximately midnight the U.S. Marshals Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF) from Lafayette with critical assistance from the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police arrested twenty-seven year old Vincente Mendoza. Mendoza was Wanted by the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina. Mendoza allegedly killed Hope Bowers and Latonia Profit on or about March 17, 2012.

Following the homicide the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office gleamed that Mendoza had fled the area and requested assistance from the US Marshals Operation Intercept Task Force (OPIN) in Columbia, SC. The US Marshals in South Carolina immediately adopted the case and began working with Orangeburg County. During the early morning hours of March 20, 2012 one of the victim’s vehicles was recovered in a rural area in Acadia Parish. Louisiana State Police processed the vehicle and VOTF Lafayette became involved in the fugitive investigation. From March 20th to today VOTF worked tirelessly with OPIN in South Carolina to locate associates and develop leads as to Mendoza’s location. Finally, a credible lead was developed suggesting that Mendoza was hiding in a trailer near the 1200 block of Jean Pierre Road outside Ville Platte, Louisiana.

As the lead was “firmed up” VOTF contacted the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office who provided vast resources and assistance. At approximately midnight this morning Mendoza was arrested in the living area of the trailer. He was sleeping on the couch and initially denied his identity, but after questioning admitted to being Vincente Mendoza.

Henry Whitehorn, the US Marshal for the Western District of Louisiana, said, “The coordinated effort of all law enforcement to bring dangerous criminals to justice ensures that the streets and neighborhoods of Louisiana are a safer place to raise our children.”

The Western District of Louisiana’s Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF) in Lafayette is a team comprised of full-time law enforcement officers from the Lafayette City Marshals, Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Police Department, St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana Probation and Parole. Further, VOTF Lafayette calls upon part-time TFO’s and partners throughout its eight parish area. In 2010 VOTF Lafayette closed approximately 500 Warrants, most of which were violent felony offenses. US Marshals Task Forces throughout the United States arrested more than 118,100 fugitives on felony charges.

Crimestoppers Works: U.S. Marshals Arrest Tyshon Johnson

Columbia, SC - Operation Intercept (OPIN), the US Marshals fugitive apprehension task force announces the arrest of Attempted Murder suspect Tyshon Demontrea Johnson AKA: Ty this morning at an apartment complex in Hillsborough, NC. Johnson has been the suspect of an Attempted Murder Charge warrant issued by the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office since August 25 for the shooting incident on Perry Street which gravely injured Isaac Hammond. OPIN was contacted through a Task Force Officer working with Orangeburg County requesting assistance in the location and apprehension of Johnson.

OPIN began investigation on August 26, passing out Wanted Posters and interviewing neighbors and residents of Orangeburg. OPIN requested Crimestoppers add Johnson to the Midlands Crimestoppers tip line and tipsters began to call. On Thursday September 8, a tipster provided the possible location of Johnson in North Carolina and OPIN forwarded all the information to their counterparts in the Greensboro area. Deputy US Marshals and Hillsborough Police took the tipster information seriously and developed leads to show the whereabouts of Johnson. This morning Johnson was arrested along with another wanted fugitive from Orangeburg County Orlando Devacon Neals. Both fugitives have been taken to the Orange County Detention Center where they await extradition hearings.

“Crimestoppers has been an invaluable asset to the law enforcement community. The tip provided by a concerned citizen has proven fruitful in apprehending these two fugitives. I acclaim the dedicated service of all law enforcement working on this case and offer the assistance of OPIN to our law enforcement partners here and across state lines.” stated US Marshal for the District of South Carolina, Kelvin Washington.

Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell stated: “The collaborative investigative efforts of the US Marshals Service continue to prove fruitful as we are locating fugitives and returning them to Orangeburg County to face the charges they have in this county.”

Established in 1789, the United States Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. In fiscal 2010, the Marshals arrested more than 36,100 federal fugitives, clearing 39,400 felony warrants and arrested 11,072 sex offenders. Marshal’s Service-led task forces like South Carolina’s Operation Intercept arrested 81,900 state and local fugitives, clearing 108,200 felony warrants. Locally, Operation Intercept arrested over 2,500 South Carolina fugitives during that same period.