NEW ORLEANS — St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne reported that a patrol deputy's cousin set his fully-marked Dodge Charger Police on fire in the 200 block of W. Oakland Street on Wednesday.
Deputies responded to another deputy's call for assistance with the fire around 2:30 a.m.
Deputies say when they arrived at the scene and found the deputy assigned to the police unit trying to extinguish the fire with a garden hose. A short time later, the St. Rose Fire Department arrived to put the fire out.
Investigators say they learned the deputy had a verbal altercation earlier in the day with his cousin.
Detectives identified and located the deputy's cousin, Justin Snavely.
Snavely admitted that he set fire to investigators. He also told them he has been in and out of mental intuitions for years.
Police found evidence to secure a felony arrest warrant for Snavely for Simple Arson and booked him into the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center.
The police vehicle sustained heavy damage.
If anyone has any information regarding the incident, witnessed any suspicious activity, or has any video surveillance in the area, they are asked to contact Detective Charles Floyd of the S.C.S.O. at (985) 783-1135 or contact (985) 783-6807.
