By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John Parish authorities arrested a LaPlace man Monday who allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl last month.

Troy M. Davis, 29, 113 Carmichael St., was taken into custody around 2:15 p.m. on a judicial warrant, said Capt. Dane Clement, a public information officer for the St. John Sheriff’s Office. He said Davis was booked into the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in LaPlace on charges of forcible rape, sexual battery and molestation of a juvenile. Davis is being held in lieu of bond, which was set at $50,000.

According to a release from the Sheriff’s Office, deputies issued a warrant for Davis’ arrest following an investigation into the incident, which was initially reported Dec. 20 by the girl’s grandfather and later confirmed by the victim.

Clement said the girl told detectives Davis molested her in her own home while her mother was away. Clement said the girl was taken to Children’s Hospital in New Orleans for an examination.

Through investigation and interviews, detectives were able to obtain evidence to support charges against Davis, Clement said. He would not elaborate any further on the evidence.