The calm of a Mandeville neighborhood was shattered early Tuesday morning by the sound of breaking glass. A man, identified as 31-year-old Jacques Dutel, was detained following accusations of a home invasion involving a knife, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is reported by WGNO that deputies responded to the incident at around 4:30 a.m. in the 2000 block of Labarre Street.
In what appeared a related event, several residents recounted unnerving early morning knocks on their doors. Tom Schedler, father of one such resident, told WGNO, "What occurred is that the initial guy knocked on the door, and he went to go behind the automobile, out of sight in hopes that she would open the door, which thank God she didn’t." Schedler’s daughter narrowly escaped a potentially dangerous encounter.
The homeowner confronted the alleged intruder, who was holding a knife, before he fled the scene on foot. The authorities were quick to respond, catching Dutel a short time later on a block away at another home on the 2000 block of Destin Street where he was reportedly staying, as WWLTV reports.
Dutel has been taken into custody and is facing charges of Home Invasion. In light of the swift response and subsequent arrest, Sheriff Randy Smith commended his officers, stating, “This could have ended very badly, I want to applaud and thank the patrol deputies involved and the detectives with our Major Crimes Division for identifying and arresting this perpetrator so quickly,” in a statement obtained by WWLTV. The suspect is now being held at the St. Tammany Jail, according to information from Fox8Live.
Local authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the break-in. Sheriff Randy Smith credited his department’s new facilities, such as the upgraded district one headquarters, for the success in apprehending the suspect, saying, "This is going to help not only help produce more manpower and visibility, but when you need us, response time is going to be a lot quicker," according to a statement provided to WGNO.
