Crime Stopper Tip Nets Opelousas Drug Arrest After Nearly a Year-Long Investigation
OPELOUSAS, La. — It took nearly a year, a SWAT team, and a robot, but St. Landry Parish detectives got their man Thursday — two of them, actually.
Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz announced the arrests of Bryson Obrian Mallet, 25, and Phillip Paul Kennerson, 21, both of Opelousas, following a narcotics investigation centered on a residence at 101 Zinfandel Drive.
A Tip That Took a Year to Pay Off
The case started with a call to Crime Stoppers about steady foot traffic at the Zinfandel Drive address. Vehicles would pull up, stay briefly, then leave — a familiar pattern to narcotics investigators.
"While many of the Crime Stopper tips we receive can yield fairly rapid results, this is a case that took nearly a year to develop," Sheriff Guidroz said in a Thursday press release.
Surveillance eventually turned up what detectives needed: one of the subjects outside the home, in possession of illegal narcotics.
One Detained, One Hid Under the House
Deputies detained Mallet outside while detectives worked to secure a search warrant for the property. That's when Kennerson ran inside.
SWAT was called in to clear the home. Inside, Kennerson was nowhere to be found — until investigators deployed a robot, which located him hiding beneath the structure. He surrendered to the robot, climbed out, and was taken into custody without a struggle.
Charges Filed
Mallet faces four counts: possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance; possession of marijuana; possession of codeine with promethazine (Schedule V); and possession of alprazolam (Schedule IV).
Kennerson was booked on an outstanding warrant for domestic abuse battery.
Tip Line Information
Anyone with information about this case can reach the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office at 337-948-6516.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 337-948-TIPS, through the P3 Tips app, or by dialing **TIPS from a cell phone. Tips that lead to an arrest are eligible for a cash reward.
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Gallery Credit: BernadetteLee
