FARMERVILLE, La. (11/22/2019) — Deputies with the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office say a woman tried to evade capture by swimming in Lake D’Arbonne after a brief chase with officers.
Deputies say they were patrolling Pint Road near LA Hwy 15 when a car they were behind suddenly started speeding off.
Union Parish Sheriff Dusty Gates says the driver eventually ran off Pleasure Island Road, and hit a guardrail trying to get back on Hwy 15.
Deputies say the driver, later identified as Cecelia Moore, 23, got out of the car, ran to the lake, jumped in, and started swimming.
A deputy and an agent from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries eventually pulled Gates out of the water. They say as soon they pulled her from the water, she blurted out “Those drugs aren’t mine!”
Moore, and her passenger Hayward Crenshaw, 28, were both arrested. Deputies say drugs were found in the car. Both denied owning the car.
Both Moore and Crenshaw are facing these charges:
- possession of marijuana
- Possession of meth and Clonazpam
- Possession with intent to distribute meth.
Moore is also charged with:
- Aggravated flight from an officer
- Illegal lane usage
- Resisting arrest, 2 counts
Below is the full press release from UPSO:
A Farmerville woman, who attempted to outrun the law in her car but failed, tried to escape the long arms of law by swimming D’Arbonne Lake. She failed in that attempt, too.
Two Union Parish sheriff’s deputies patrolling Pint Road near La. Hwy. 15 got behind a vehicle that suddenly accelerated to 60 mph and driving in the middle of the country road. The deputies reported that the driver did not stop at the stop sign at Pleasure Island Road and started traveling at a much higher speed.
Sheriff Dusty Gates said that before the vehicle reached La. Hwy. 15, it ran off Pleasure Island Road, traveled across private property before hitting a guard rail in an attempt to get on Hwy. 15.
The driver, later identified as Cecelia A. Moore, 23, of 309 Pint Rd., Farmerville, exited the vehicle, ran to the lake, jumped in and started swimming.
Gates said the deputies then called for another deputy to bring a sheriff’s department boat to the location. A deputy and a Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ agent retrieved Moore from the lake.
“As soon as they pulled her from the water she immediately stated “’those drugs aren’t mine,’” the sheriff said.
A search of the vehicle turned up 7.7 grams of methamphetamine, 5.7 grams of marijuana, two blunts containing suspected marijuana and two Clonazpam pills.
Moore and her passenger, Hayward Kyle Crenshaw, 28, of 131 Swartz School Rd., Monroe, were arrested. Crenshaw also denied ownership of the drugs found in the car.
Both were charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana and felony counts of possession of meth and Clonazpam and possession with intent to distribute meth.
Moore was additionally booked into the Union Parish Detention Center for aggravated flight from an officer, a felony, illegal lane usage and two misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest.
Bail had not been set Thursday.
