A Ponchatoula man was arrested for murder Sunday (December 29, 2024), less than 24 hours after a man was found dead near the boat launch on Lake Road in Lacombe.
Shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday (December 28, 2024), a patrol deputy with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s 2nd District was conducting a routine patrol on Lake Road when he observed a male lying in the roadway. The man was pronounced dead on scene from what appeared to be several gunshot wounds. St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Christopher Tape has identified the victim as 25 year-old Yelson Hernan Garcia Banegas, who is believed to have been a resident of Lacombe.
Detectives with the STPSO Major Crimes Unit were called in to investigate and less than 24 hours later the individual responsible, 20 year-old Osmer Noel Villalta-Lopez of Ponchatoula, was in custody and was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on one count each of First-Degree Murder and Obstruction of Justice.
“I want to thank the hard-working men and women of our Major Crimes Unit who worked around the clock to quickly identify and arrest the individual responsible for this crime,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “It is because of their dedication and hard work that we in St. Tammany boast a solve rate on violent crimes that is more than twice the national average.”
***All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty***
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