Staff Reporter

BOUTTE – St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s deputies nabbed two Boutte men, and a Boutte female, in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia during a raid of an apartment home early Tuesday morning.

Captain Pat Yoes, public information officer for the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office said investigators obtained a warrant to search the apartment, located at 200 Boutte Estates Dr., based on an ongoing investigation, but would not give specifics.

Yoes said during the search of the apartment, which took place around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, police found an unspecified amount of marijuana, assorted drug paraphernalia, and a loaded weapon. Police also found a small pit bull puppy, lying in its own feces, locked in a crate in the apartment with no food or water.

Yoes said three children, aged five, eight, and ten, were also present in the apartment at the time of the search.

Yoes said all three subjects, Lonzell Holmes, 18, Vida Holmes, 40, and Ralph Degree, 50, were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal possession of a controlled substance in the presence of a minor, and simple cruelty of an animal.

Yoes said Vida Holmes and Degree are being held on $25,000 bond. Lonzell Holmes, who was also charged with false representation of a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled substance, is being held on $50,000 bond. All three subjects were booked into Nelson Coleman Correctional Facility in St. Charles Parish.