ST. MARTINVILLE, La. (KLFY)-  On Saturday afternoon at approximately 4:48 p.m., a 911 call was received in reference to a suspicious vehicle parked on the property of an oilfield business and hunting lease in the 1000 block of Aubrey Ozenne Road, St. Martinville. LA.

Witnesses reported seeing a black male subject holding a firearm sitting in an older model maroon vehicle with a white male subject who appeared to have suffered an injury.

St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to the scene, however, when they arrived the vehicle was no longer in the area. An investigation was initiated and Deputies continued the search for the vehicle along with area law enforcement agencies.

Shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday night, deputies were notified that an officer with the St. Martinville Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle at the intersection of  W. Madison and Lewis Street in St. Martinville.

Upon Investigators arrival, DeAnthony Francois, 30, St. Martinville, the driver of the vehicle, was taken into custody for questioning in reference to the events reported on Saturday afternoon.

During the course of the investigation information was gathered to indicate that following an altercation in the vehicle, Dametri Joseph Romero, 19, New Iberia, was shot by DeAnthony Francois in the area of Freedom Lane in St. Martinville.

Following the shooting, Francois left the area to find a place to dispose of the body.  He initially drove to the Aubrey Ozenne Road location but was accidentally locked inside the property when a hunter leaving the lease, locked one of the gates.

Shortly after, another individual arrived on the property to hunt and unlocked the gate to enter the lease when he noticed the suspect vehicle behind the locked gate.

Upon unlocking the gate and prior to being able to ask why he was on the property, Francois exited the gate and fled the area. He subsequently traveled to a location off of Francois Road where he then disposed of the body. At 10:30 p.m. Sunday evening, Investigators with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of Dametri Joseph Romero.

Following his arrest, he was booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center on the above-charges and at the time of this release, no bond had been set.

Romero’s family is accepting donations to cover funeral arrangements. They can be made at Fletcher Funeral Home.