By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – The St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office has captured the suspect for the first homicide of 2006. The 25-year-old Kenner resident was positively identified as the shooter through witnesses.

Maj. Mike Tregre, spokesman for the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office, said the arrest of Kendrell S. Lewis was made Thursday morning around 9 a.m.

&#8220Lewis went to visit his probation officer, located off St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans,” Tregre said. &#8220We were there waiting for him.”

Lewis was charged with the second-degree murder of 23-year-old Morial Johnson of Reserve, which occurred on March 17 at 1819 West Airline Hwy in LaPlace, near the New Orleans Original Daiquiri Shop.

One other arrest was made on April 5 of Neyuka Ceaser, who was charged with obstruction of justice and accessory to second-degree

murder. Neyuka was released out on bond, after her bond was reduced from $152,000 to $75,000.

Neyuka’s brother, Deval Ceaser, is also considered to be an accessory, but has not been located.

&#8220We are still looking for Deval,” Tregre said. &#8220If anyone has information on his whereabouts, please contact the Sheriff’s Office.”

Tregre said detectives Sgt. Royal A. Burke and Lt. Juan Watkins were the investigators on the case, and worked extremely hard in finding the suspect.

The shooting occurred around 11:33 p.m. According to previous reports, Tregre said a witness called the Sheriff’s Office referencing a shooting, and within five minutes of the call, Johnson had walked into the River Parishes Hospital emergency room with a gunshot wound under his right lower rib area.

Tregre said a witness from the scene said a man driving a green Pontiac Grand Prix or Grand Am left quickly.

According to a witness, one male walked up to the other, and the suspect fired one shot at the victim, Tregre said.

Johnson, 23, of Reserve received a gunshot wound to his right lower rib area, which left him in critical condition. He later died on April 3 from his injuries.

Lewis is being held at the Sherman Walker Correctional Center on a $300,000 bond set by Judge Sterling Snowdy.