The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) arrested 70 year-old Arden Wells of Ponchatoula Friday (July 25, 2025) on one count of Terrorizing.
TPSO reports that, on June 24, 2025, Wells published false information on social media that an inmate had escaped the Tangipahoa Parish Jail. As there had been an actual escape the month prior, the inaccurate publication created undue concern among the public and resulted in several inquiries about the validity of the information. Following a thorough investigation, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
“Just as the law does not allow someone to falsely yell ‘fire’ in the middle of a theater to create panic, or to publish a fake threat against a school to cancel classes out of fear, a person cannot falsely publicize a concerning event like an inmate escape to scare people and we will not tolerate when they do,” said Sheriff Gerald Sticker.
Terrorizing is defined by Louisiana R.S. Code 14:40.1 as “the intentional communication of information that the commission of a crime of violence is imminent or in progress or that a circumstance dangerous to human life exists or is about to exist, with the intent of causing members of the general public to be in sustained fear for their safety; or causing evacuation of a building, a public structure, or a facility of transportation; or causing other serious disruption to the general public.”
Wells was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail and then transferred to another facility out of an abundance of caution for safety and security.
***All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty***
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