By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff reporter

HAHNVILLE – Authorities in St. Charles Parish apprehended a man this past Wednesday who was wanted for crimes in Jefferson Parish since 2006, said a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Sgt. Dwayne LaGrange, public information officer for the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office, said an anonymous tip led to the arrest of Kendell Hawkins, 39, who had been featured earlier that evening on a “CrimeStoppers” website. LaGrange said Hawkins was taken into custody around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, without incident, when a Special Response Team (SRT) was led to Hawkins’ home at 315 Meadows Dr. in Destrehan.

According to Col. John Fortunato of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Hawkins had been wanted since August of 2006 for two counts of attempted first-degree murder, attempted armed robbery, and aggravated battery charges. He said no other information was available on the incident that led to the charges, just that it occurred in 2006.

In a release from the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Greg Champagne applauded the work of deputies on the Special Response team, and stressed the importance of removing Hawkins from the streets as quickly as possible.

“We knew that this person was likely to be armed and dangerous, therefore, we felt that the SRT unit was better equipped to handle the situation,” said Champagne.

LaGrange said Hawkins was transported to the Nelson Coleman Correctional Facility, where he was booked as a fugitive for Jefferson Parish. Hawkins was then transported back to Jefferson Parish, where he is being held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Facility in Gretna.

LaGrange said members of the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office Patrol Operations also assisted in the arrest.