A Texas man has been accused of looting numerous residences in Lake Charles before and after Hurricane Laura, according to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Justin J. Andrews, 42, of Sealy, Texas, is currently incarcerated in Fort Bend County, Texas and is awaiting extradition to Lake Charles.
Andrews is charged with four counts of looting, five counts of criminal property damage, four counts of theft, and simple burglary.
Judge Tony Fazzio has set his bond at $417,500.
CPSO Spokeswoman Kayla Vincent said deputies were dispatched to a number of calls regarding burglaries through the Lake Charles area including residences on Little Drive, Portrush Drive, St. Andrews Drive, and Sassafras Way between the dates of July 8 and Oct. 5, 2020.
During their investigation, deputies learned a suspect or suspects had forced their way into the homes and stolen a number of expensive items such as jewelry and purses.
The Sheriff’s Office estimates more than $65,000 worth of items were stolen from inside the homes.
During a joint investigation involving the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, who were also investigating similar burglaries, detectives here said they were able to identify Andrews as allegedly being involved in the burglaries in Lake Charles.
An arrest warrant for Andrews was issued by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office earlier this week.
CPSO detectives Kerrick Gabrial, Joshua Couch, Charles Trosclair, and John Coffman are the lead investigators on this case.
The investigation is ongoing and more arrests and charges are possible.
