PONCHATOULA - Additional charges are likely in a sex crimes case under investigation in southern Tangipahoa Parish.

Malcolm Chester, 32, was arrested on first-degree rape charges and a slew of warrants from the city of Ponchatoula Monday.  Deputies handled the sex crime investigation on behalf of city police investigators because Chester's relative works for the police department, Chief Bry Layrisson said.

Chester was booked on the sex crime charge after a teenager reported being assaulted by Chester.  The child reported the incident to a school guidance counselor who notified authorities.

Layrisson told WBRZ Chester was the focus of an unrelated complaint by another victim within the last year.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Ponchatoula Police Department.

Chester also had twelve city warrants for failure to appear and a parish aggravated assault with a firearm charge for an incident in 2018.

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BATON ROUGE – Tense moments unfolded on East State Street late Friday after a man fired a shot at a police helicopter as officers hovered overhead to investigate a disturbance.

East State Street was closed late Friday night and just after midnight Saturday.  Police in tactical gear blocked cars and residents from going down the street while a K9 officer participated in a search. Police were looking for the individual who may have fired the shot at the helicopter.

No one was hurt.

Police previously took someone into custody who matched the description of the man seen by officers hovering overhead.  Police said this weekend there were no arrests in the case.

The shooter ran from the State Street area toward Dalrymple. Police said the person they intercepted matched the likeness of the individual they were chasing, but the person was not charged in connection with the shooting.  They did not elaborate on if the person was charged in any unrelated situation.  

Police said the man in custody walked toward the first officers to arrive on scene, identified himself as a lawyer but was uncooperative – likely because of alcohol, police said.

Police told WBRZ, the helicopter was initially dispatched to fly above State Street to check on a “high disturbance.” The chopper hovered and shined a spotlight at a home and a man there fired a shot.

The initial call about the disturbance came around 11 p.m. Friday. By midnight, the scene was still very active.

The call came as late-night revelers walked the streets in the popular Northgate area of Baton Rouge near LSU’s campus. The city is packed with football fans and visitors ahead of Saturday’s LSU-Florida game.

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