By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives on Monday arrested two subjects, Ali Batiste, 19, and Aaron Gregoire, 19, both of LaPlace, in connection with the homicide of a 16-year-old boy late Saturday night in LaPlace.  
Batiste was arrested and booked with second-degree murder. No bond had been set.
Gregoire was arrested and booked with accessory after the fact to second-degree murder. Gregoire’s bond is $500,000.
On Saturday deputies responded to a residence on Amy Drive to clear a crowd from a large party. As deputies dealt with the crowd control, they heard gunshots. Several houses down from the party, deputies located the victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported to River Parishes Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The victim was identified as Kyrian Gray, 16, from Reserve.
St. John Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre said his recent appeals to the community to submit information via his anonymous tip line have helped “without question” in this and other recent cases.
“(This was a case of) citizens giving the Sheriff’s Office the information to put us in the direction we need to go,” said Tregre.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office TIPS line at 985-359-TIPS or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
Citizens with information about this incident can call Crimestoppers and submit an anonymous tip to qualify for the cash reward. Callers with information do not have to testify in court and will be issued a tip number to be identified for the potential reward.
The murder is the 10th homicide in St. John the Baptist Parish in 2013.