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On the evening of
May 31, 2007, the Eastern District of Louisiana’s U.S. Marshals
Crescent Star Fugitive Task Force (CSFTF) and the Jefferson Parish
Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) arrested Jay FISHER and Michelle ROUTHIER,
for false imprisonment of a child. The child was recovered and
placed in protective custody until she can be returned to her
father. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE),
ROUTHIER, the mother of the seven year old girl, and her boyfriend,
FISHER, allegedly took the child while she was participating in a
child modeling competition in Ft. Lauderdale on May 19. The State
of Florida had previously given full custody of the child to her
father due to allegations of domestic violence and substance abuse
by the mother.
Florida officials
contacted their local U.S. Marshals office for assistance after the
abduction. Investigative efforts indicated the couple had taken the
child to the New Orleans Metro Area. The CSFTF was contacted and,
along with the help of JPSO, located the suspects at the Days Inn in
Metairie, Louisiana. The couple was arrested without incident and
booked in the Jefferson Parish Corrections Center. The child was
recovered without any apparent harm and was turned over to the
Louisiana Child Protection Services. FISHER was also wanted for
failure to appear on an aggravated battery charge in Highland
County, Florida.
Acting EDLA U.S.
Marshal Roxanna Irwin stated, “The safety of the victim is paramount
in a case like this, the fact that the child was apparently unharmed
is a great relief to all parties involved. This case is another
example of how federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies
can work together to make a significant impact in our community and
in this case, the life of a child.”
The U.S. Marshals
sponsored CSFTF includes law enforcement officers from the New
Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office,
St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana Probation and Parole,
St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Coast Guard, and the
Social Security Office of Inspector General. SEQ
CHAPTER \h \r 1Other area law enforcement agencies also
assist CSFTF in fugitive investigations on a case by case basis.
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