By ROBIN SHANNON
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Father’s Day weekend wasn’t quite so happy for one group of deadbeat dads who were apprehended during an early morning roundup last Friday for failure to pay child support.

The St. John Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices teamed up to execute warrants on 25 suspects in the parish who are wanted for shirking their child support responsibilities, said Maj. Mike Tregre, public information officer for the District Attorney’s Office. He said five of the suspects were taken into custody during the 5 a.m. operation, which was dubbed “Happy Father’s Day.”

Tregre said the suspects targeted in the operation owed a total of more than $250,000 in past due child support payments. He said a handful of subjects owed as much as $26,000 in support.

“Intentional non-support of children by a parent is a criminal offense, which law enforcement takes seriously,” said St. John District Attorney Tom Daley in a release from his office. “The DA’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office are cooperating to benefit the lives of innocent children.”

Tregre said the operation was an attempt to try and catch some of the suspects, some of whom have been wanted in the parish since 1997, off-guard. Although the roundup only netted five of the deadbeat dads, Tregre said the District Attorney’s Office is confident more would be apprehended as investigations continue. He said the men arrested Friday were held at the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in LaPlace in lieu of bonds that correspond to the amount owed in past due support.

Those arrested were:

• Clyde Carter, 53, 215 Historic West St., Garyville. Bond set at $24,525.

• Gary Gerard, 42, 110 Riverpoint Drive, LaPlace. Bond set at $25,002.

• Roy Turley, 54, 2408 Williamsburg, LaPlace. Bond set at $12,522.

• Michael Lucian Pickle, 49, 125 Portrush Drive, LaPlace. Bond set at $5,500.

• Jermain Perrilloux, 36, 2701 Cambridge Drive, LaPlace. Bond set at $14,388.

Tregre said any of the other 20 suspects with outstanding child support payments should call the St. John Child Support Services Office at (985) 652-1567 to make arrangements to satisfy their support obligations without the fear of arrest.