L’Observateur / November 4, 1998

LAPLACE – A St. John sheriff’s deputy was disciplined this week fornegligently allowing a prisoner to escape his custody.

“He became a little complacent,” Chief Deputy Harold Klibert commented, adding the deputy readily admitted his negligence.

Deputy Pedro Luna was suspended for 30 days without pay and will undergo a six-month monitored evaluation upon his return to duty.

Luna, a corrections officer with the department since March 1997, was transporting Wanda G. Angeron of Norco from the Sherman WalkerCorrectional Center to the women’s lockup behind the Percy Hebert building on Oct. 28.She was placed in the front seat of Luna’s unit without handcuffs and leg irons, in violation of established procedure. Upon arrival at the PercyHebert building, Angeron opened the door and ran, escaping Luna.

She was later apprehended at a cousin’s trailer residence on McReine Road and charged with simple escape after persuading a man to give her a ride to the other side of LaPlace.

“He thought it was just a short hop and that he wouldn’t have any trouble,” Klibert said of Luna. “That’s why we have rules and regulations.”

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