La. murder suspect arrested at bus station

Published 12:00 am Monday, January 26, 2009

A Baton Rouge man wanted in Louisiana for second-degree murder was arrested by Vicksburg police Friday at the Greyhound Bus Station, 1295 S. Frontage Road, police Lt. Bobby Stewart said today.

Christopher Hawkins, 29, 5665 McClelland Drive, was wanted for a Jan. 17 shooting death in Baton Rouge, Stewart said. Police had been notified by Baton Rouge officers that Hawkins was believed to be on a bus going to Monroe, which was stopping in Vicksburg.

Police met the bus and arrested Hawkins at 4:37 p.m.

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He was in the Issaquena County Jail without bond this morning pending extradition to Louisiana.

While at the bus station, police also arrested Jonathan Lee, 27, 3341 N. Euclid, St. Louis, for possession of Ecstasy with intent to distribute.

Lee was at first thought to be with Hawkins.

While questioning him, police became suspicious of his “nervous” behavior, Stewart said, and searched him, finding 1,000 tablets of the drug.

Lee was being held in Issaquena County Jail this morning without bond pending his initial hearing.

No connection exists between Hawkins and Lee, Stewart said, other than that they were on the bus at the same time.

Other arrests in Vicksburg Friday were:

* Ashley White, 24, 617 Smith Lane, Natchez, was charged with attempting to utter a forgery and possession of a counterfeit bank note.

White was arrested at an unknown location in Natchez in an August 26 incident at Wal-Mart Supercenter, 2150 Iowa Ave. Her bond was set at $30,000, and she was in the Issaquena County Jail this morning.

* Helen Rogillio, 44, 3208 Holland Drive, was arrested for third-offense shoplifting, a felony, at Wal-Mart SuperCenter. She was in the Issaquena County Jail on a $5,000 bond this morning.

Truck, tools, purse among missing items

An auto theft and residential and auto burglaries were reported in the city over the weekend, police Lt. Bobby Stewart said.

* A bag containing assorted tools valued at $150 was reported stolen Friday at 12:30 a.m. from a 2000 Ford F-350 pickup in the 1800 block of Poplar Street.

* A 1999 Mazda pickup was reported stolen Friday at 8:30 p.m. from the Shell Jubilee gas station in the 4100 block of U.S. 61 South. The owner left the keys in the car while he went inside the conven-ience store, Stewart said. The truck was later found nearby in the 100 block of Cedars Road, with the owner’s wallet missing. The wallet contained about $70. No damage was reported to the truck.

* A brown Louis Vitton purse valued at $170 and containing about $150 was reported stolen Saturday at 5:44 p.m. from an unlocked 2008 Chevrolet Impala parked at County Market, 2101 Clay St.

* A home in the 900 block of Main Street was reported entered at 11:30 p.m. Nothing was stolen, but an alarm keypad was ripped off the wall, causing about $500 in damage, Stewart said.

* A Ford 500 reported stolen in Sharkey County Saturday at 6:30 a.m. was found burned Sunday at 1:52 p.m. in the 500 block of Hugo Street. The car, of unknown value, was registered to an owner at 236 Maple St., Anguilla.

* A residence in the 1200 block of Smith Street was reported burglarized at 2:05 p.m. Sunday. Stolen were a watch valued at $400, a gold rope necklace valued at $500, a gold ring valued at $250 and a pair of diamond earrings valued at $250.

* A residential burglary in the 400 block of Depot Street was reported at 3:54 p.m. Sunday. Stolen were a Sharp camcorder valued at $400 and a Yamaha mixer board valued at $600.

Washer, generator missing in county

A residential burglary was reported Sunday in Warren County, the sheriff’s records office said today.

An Excell pressure washer valued at $450 and a generator valued at $350 were reported stolen at 12:15 p.m. from a home in the 1400 block of Jeff Davis Road.

3 injured in 3 wrecks during weekend

Three wrecks Saturday and Sunday sent three people to River Region Medical Center, Vicksburg fire and rescue officials said today.

* Donald Nelson, 56, 2919 Summertree Drive, Sebring, Fla., was injured in a wreck Saturday at 3:40 a.m. on I-20 at the Mississippi River Bridge.

* Tanya Jeffers, 23, 1410 Main St., was injured in a wreck at Main and Third North streets, Saturday at 2:53 p.m.

* Angie Ester, 41, 1900 Baldwin Ferry Road, Apt. 3F, was injured in a wreck at North Frontage Road and Iowa Boulevard.

Nelson, Jeffers and Ester were treated and released, a hospital spokesman said today.