Two teens arrested for wearing clown mask at school in Lafourche
LAFOURCHE PARISH – The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office arrested two teens for wearing a clown mask while riding around Central Lafourche High School on Tuesday.
The two students, 17-year-old Taylor Defelice and Jordan Boudreaux, were charged with violating Louisiana R.S. 14:313 which prohibits masks being worn outside of holidays. Last week the sheriff's office warned residents that any "creepy clown" activity would not be tolerated.
The warning and arrests come after multiple reports of creepy clown sightings and threats throughout the country.
"With rumors running rampant throughout the country, these individuals are deciding to exploit public fears for some sort of personal enjoyment, and that is simply despicable. We hope these two students serve as a lesson to others that this type of behavior will result in criminal charges," Sheriff Craig Webre said.
Students reported the incident to a school official and through the investigation, officers learned that both students wore the mask. A photo from Snapchat was also seen of one of the two teens wearing the mask while riding around in Defelice's truck. The two were charged with one count each of wearing a mask in public. With the violation of Louisiana R.S. 14:313, the two could face a sentence of six months to three years maximum.
"Our school administrators will not tolerate any student causing a significant disturbance on our school campus," Jo Ann Matthews, Lafourche Parish School District Superintendent said.
Sheriff Webre said that any threats of violence would not be tolerated.
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"Clown or not, anyone making threats of violence to others in any form, including social media, will be investigated," Webre said. "We have a great track record of working with social media outlets to identify perpetrators, even when they open an account under anonymity. The bottom line is, we will find you, and you will be charged. We will not tolerate anyone terrorizing our community and especially our schools," Webre said.