Connect with us

Louisiana

A Dead 3-Year-Old Was Brought to a Louisiana Hospital. Now, 3 People Face Charges of Abuse

Published

on

A Dead 3-Year-Old Was Brought to a Louisiana Hospital. Now, 3 People Face Charges of Abuse


Three people have been charged in Louisiana after allegedly bringing a 3-year-old child to the hospital dead, according to authorities.

The Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office shared in a social media post on Wednesday, March 5, that Kewanna Monique Lard, 44, Dewanequa Monique Nykeria Lard, 23, and Szysznyk DeWayne Phillips, 48, were charged with cruelty to juveniles.

Kewanna and Dewanequa were also charged with second-degree cruelty to juveniles and obstruction of justice.

According to the sheriff’s office, investigators responded to Bienville Medical Center on Feb. 13 after being informed about Bienville Parish residents “who arrived at the emergency room with the deceased child.” An autopsy was conducted on the 3-year-old as officers investigated what led to the child’s death.

Advertisement

“Following an autopsy, investigators began to look further into suspected physical abuse of the deceased child as well as a [14-year-old child] who resided in the same household,” police said in a statement.

Police vehicle with lights (stock image).

avid_creative/Getty


Police said that Kewanna, Dewanequa and Phillips lived together with the 14-year-old child and 3-year-old child — both of whom were not identified — in a home in Lucky, La., according to the release.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.   

Advertisement

The sheriff’s office said investigators were able to obtain “sufficient evidence” in order to arrest the trio and charge them. They were booked into the Bienville Parish Jail, with bond set at $100,000 on each count, police said. 

Police said that their “investigation is ongoing” and “additional charges are pending” in the case. 

PEOPLE has reached out to the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office for more information on the case.

Local outlet KTBS-TV identified the deceased 3-year-old as Rayshawn “Nico” Lard. According to an online obituary, the child was born in Castor, La., on Oct. 9, 2021.

He was described as a child who “loved PAW Patrol,” as well as “his mom, siblings and cookies.” His funeral was held by his family on Feb. 28.

Advertisement

Sheriff John Ballance told KTBS-TV that at this point in their investigation, none of the three people arrested so far have been charged with homicide. 

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.



Source link

Louisiana

Louisiana pastor Tony Spell ordered to stay 50 yards from alleged assault victim’s home as bodycam appears to shows him using slur

Published

on

Louisiana pastor Tony Spell ordered to stay 50 yards from alleged assault victim’s home as bodycam appears to shows him using slur


Louisiana pastor Tony Spell must stay 50 yards from his neighbor’s home unless he’s checking the mail after a protection order was issued against him – as shocking bodycam appears to show him using a homophobic slur to describe his alleged assault victim, just two days after he was arrested.

Spell, 48, is banned from speaking with the neighbor either online and in person, according to the order issued  Friday, which has since been reported by The Advocate. 

“Mr Spell may walk over and check his mailbox; other than checking his mailbox, he is to be 50 yards away from the protected person’s property,” a note on the order says. 

Pastor Tony Spell allegedly assaulted his neighbor’s son after he threatened to kill and rape his wife. WBRZ

Spell, the pastor of Baton Rouge’s Life Tabernacle Church, will appear in court in September after being charged with second degree battery over last month’s assault that unfolded opposite the church.

Advertisement

He claimed Scott Sherwin’s son had threatened to rape and kill his wife before delivering 35 blows.

But two days after the brawl Scott Sherwin reported Spell for allegedly mowing his lawn at 4 a.m., WBRZ reported.

“He’s doing this to intimidate my victim son,” Sherwin claimed in bodycam video seen by The Post. 

“Do you cut your grass at 4 in the morning?” he asked the responding officer.

“You gotta get him to stop man,” the furious dad said.

Advertisement

Sherwin claimed his family was unable to sleep – alleging Spell was carrying out “psychological warfare.”

An enraged Sherwin then swore at his neighbor, allegedly flipping him off, according to the bodycam.

Tony Spell kneeling and holding a goat. Tony Spell / Facebook

“I was asleep when this started at four in the morning,” Sherwin stressed, aggressively pointing at his phone.

The cop then went over to Spell, who was sitting on his lawnmower, before asking for his name.

“Everybody in the world knows my name,” Spell brazenly replied to the cop.

Advertisement

Spell, who faces up to eight years in prison if convicted, then labeled Sherwin’s son a “f—-t” and seemed to take pride in the now-viral beatdown.

“He’s just sore because I beat the crap out of his f—-t boy,” he said.

“And he’s next if he comes over here and harasses these boys,” Spell said, speaking while a group of teens gathered nearby.

He has been embroiled in a rivalry with his neighbor. Tony Spell

Spell then started his lawnmower up and told the boys “get to work,” essentially ordering them to clear off.

Spell strongly defended his actions after being released from jail over the assault.

Advertisement

“Number one, I’m a husband, number two, I’m a father, and number three, I’m a pastor who shepherds his flock,” he said. “I will not allow a man to murder my children when I’m gone,” he told reporters.

He revealed what Sherwin’s son allegedly said, which prompted the beatdown.

“He said, ‘Tony, I’m going to rape your wife, I’m going to rape all your grandchildren, and the next time you go out of town, I’m going to kill them,’” Spell said.

He addressed the altercation to his congregation and compared it to “domestic terrorism.” He also cited a Bible passage from Mark 16:18, WAFB reported.

Advertisement

“In my name, they shall lay hands on the sick. And they shall recover,” he said.

“So today, I fulfilled the scripture. I laid hands on the sick. I don’t know how much recovery they’re going to have, but I laid hands on the sick.”

Spell has been in a longstanding feud with Sherwin; the pastor filed a lawsuit during the pandemic in 2020 over surveillance cameras that were installed.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Spell was ticketed for holding in-person church services, defying Louisiana’s social distancing restrictions.

Spell claimed the cameras were installed to monitor him.

Advertisement

In April 2020, Spell was accused of attacking a protester outside his church. Police alleged that Spell backed his church bus in the direction of the protester, who was identified as Trey Bennett, according to news station WAFB-TV.

He was arrested for aggravated assault but never formally charged.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Louisiana

Louisiana-based study: Bariatric surgery holds promise for young patients

Published

on

Louisiana-based study: Bariatric surgery holds promise for young patients



A new study from researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, and the Metamor Institute found that metabolic and bariatric surgery can be delivered safely and effectively for adolescents and young adults living with severe obesity, leading to significant weight loss and improvements in obesity-related health conditions. 

Published in Obesity Surgery, the study examined outcomes from 76 patients ages 10 to 25 who underwent bariatric surgery through a Louisiana-based program at the Metamor Institute between January 2020 and March 2025. Researchers evaluated safety outcomes as well as longer-term health improvements associated with surgical obesity treatment.

The study found that patients achieved an average total body weight loss of 29%-32% maintained over one to five years. Among patients with available follow-up data, 94% experienced remission of type 2 diabetes, 67% showed improvement in hypertension and dyslipidemia and 64% experienced improvement in gastroesophageal reflux disease. Surgical complications remained low, with only 5% of patients experiencing complications within 30 days of surgery.

Advertisement

Researchers noted that these outcomes were likely supported by a comprehensive, multidisciplinary care model that included experienced surgeons, nutritional guidance, behavioral support and coordinated medical follow-up. The study population represented a broad cross-section of Louisiana patients, with nearly 75% covered by Medicaid, highlighting the importance of ensuring access to effective obesity treatment options across socioeconomic backgrounds. 

The findings support current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations that adolescents age 13 and older with severe obesity and related health risks be evaluated for metabolic and bariatric surgery as part of comprehensive, evidence-based obesity care.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Louisiana

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass $250 Billion Price Tag

Published

on

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass 0 Billion Price Tag


Meta Platforms Inc. has committed to spending an additional $40 billion on its sprawling data center campus in Louisiana, pushing its total expected investment beyond $250 billion for the site as it continues to grow its artificial intelligence computing footprint.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending