Pubdate: Thu, 17 Oct 2002
Source: Times-Picayune, The (LA)
Copyright: 2002 The Times-Picayune
Contact:  http://www.nola.com/t-p/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/848
Author: Steve Cannizaro, St. Bernard/Plaquemines bureau/The Times-Picayune
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

PRISON GUARD SEES OTHER SIDE OF BARS

St. Bernard Corrections Officer Facing Drug Charge, Officials Say

A St. Bernard Parish corrections officer was being held in her own prison 
Wednesday night after being booked with possessing small amounts of crack 
and powdered cocaine, as well as possession of stolen property taken in a 
New Orleans home burglary Tuesday.

Alicia Cruz, 27, 6610 Dauphine St., Arabi, was fired from the job she has 
held for two years with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office. She will 
go before a judge today to have bond set, said Maj. Richard Baumy of the 
Sheriff's Office.

"She ought to feel at home tonight," Baumy said of Cruz, who worked in the 
women's tier and other parts of the Parish Prison in Chalmette. Cruz will 
be segregated from other prisoners, he said.

Rocky Holmes, 29, who officials say lived with Cruz, is being sought on 
charges of possession of stolen property and cocaine, as well as an escape 
charge. Baumy said Holmes escaped from deputies who tried to arrest him at 
home Wednesday about 1 p.m.

A second man, Louis Holmes, 29, 1112 Perrin Drive, Arabi, a cousin of Rocky 
Holmes, was booked with possession of stolen property and was being held in 
the Parish Prison.

Items stolen in the New Orleans burglary, including watches and jewelry, 
were recovered at the home of Cruz and Rocky Holmes, Baumy said. The 
burglary took place in the 3100 block of Fortin Street.

Details of the arrests were sketchy Wednesday night, but Baumy said the 
investigation started after a man who turned out to be Louis Holmes was 
seen dumping documents Wednesday about noon into an Arabi canal in the 7300 
block of West St. Bernard Highway.

Deputies recovered some of the documents and found the name of the man who 
was the victim of the burglary the night before.

Deputies questioned Louis Holmes, who had returned to the canal, and 
determined that he had thrown the documents in the water, Baumy said.

Louis Holmes took deputies to the home of his cousin Rocky, who already was 
a suspect in other burglaries in St. Bernard Parish, Baumy said.

When the deputies arrived, Cruz answered the door and deputies stepped 
inside to find Rocky Holmes holding a pipe used to smoke crack cocaine, 
Baumy said.

During a search, small amounts of cocaine, as well as the stolen property, 
were found in the home.

Cruz and Louis Holmes were arrested, but when deputies tried to put 
handcuffs on Rocky Holmes, he escaped out the back door, Baumy said.
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