What should have been a quick stop at Rathborne Park in Luling turned ugly over the weekend, when a public restroom was found vandalized, smeared with feces and left with damaged ventilation, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. A visitor reported that feces had been spread on the walls, a toilet and a urinal, and investigators believe the incident may have occurred on Saturday. The sheriff’s office has opened an investigation and is asking the public to help identify whoever is responsible.
In an April 13 Facebook update, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office detailed the mess inside the restroom and urged anyone with information to contact its Communications Center at 985‑783‑6807. That communications number is also listed on the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office website. The sheriff’s office said the parish plans to install surveillance cameras at several park locations in response to ongoing vandalism complaints and that deputies will work with parish officials to arrest and prosecute those involved.
What investigators say
The sheriff’s office says a park visitor stumbled onto the soiled and damaged restroom and reported what they saw. Investigators are now trying to determine how extensive the needed repairs will be. Rathborne Park is listed on the parish Parks & Recreation site as a neighborhood park with playgrounds, ballfields and restrooms used by local youth sports teams and walkers, according to St. Charles Parks & Recreation.
Parish response and park investments
Rathborne Park has not been an afterthought in recent years. Parish records show a 2010 contract authorized construction of a walking trail at the site, and local reporting has highlighted plans for a restroom and storage building there. Those projects are documented in parish legislation and in coverage of the park’s upgrades, per St. Charles Parish records and the Herald-Guide.
Legal consequences
Depending on how much the damage at Rathborne Park ultimately costs to fix, the behavior could be prosecuted under Louisiana law as simple criminal damage to property or as criminal mischief. La. R.S. 14:56 defines simple criminal damage to property, and La. R.S. 14:59 sets out criminal mischief and related penalties. Both statutes allow for fines and possible jail time. See La. R.S. 14:56 and La. R.S. 14:59 for the full statute text.
Anyone with video, photographs or other information about the incident is asked to call the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at 985‑783‑6807. The sheriff’s office says it will continue to coordinate with parish officials as the investigation moves forward and is encouraging residents to submit tips through its Facebook post from the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office.
