TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN THE MURDER OF 7 YEAR OLD LOUISIANA GIRL (1518 hits)

RIVER RIDGE, LOUISIANA--Two suspects have been arrested in the death of Paige DeJean, the 7-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet that ripped through the wall of her River Ridge apartment, authorities said today.

Andre Preston, 21, 428 Webster St., Kenner, and Roger Chairs, 21, 728 Filmore St., River Ridge, were booked overnight with first-degree murder, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said. Chairs was arrested at home, Preston at a Kenner motel.

They were identified as suspects from neighborhood tips and investigation by Sheriff's Office detectives.

"The death of Paige created pause in the community," Normand said. "I'm glad the community stepped up and cooperated."


Paige was shot in the neck Sunday just after 4 a.m. as she slept next to her 10-year-old cousin on an air mattress in her living room at the Mark Twain II apartments, 10950 Jefferson Highway. She was taken to Ochsner Medical Center in Old Jefferson where she was pronounced dead.

Investigators found bullet holes in two buildings at the apartment complexes and 9-millimeter bullet casings a few blocks away in the 200 and 300 block of South Upland Avenue.

The girl lived at the apartment with her mother, Alkima Anderson Williamson.


Her father, Staff Sgt. Henry DeJean, was on deployment in the Middle East with his Louisiana National Guard unit. He returned Monday on emergency leave.


He said he received word about the suspects and their arrest earlier today.

FOLLOW UP TO AN EARLIER REPORT FROM THE TIMES PICAYUNE:

SOLDIER-FATHER OF SLAIN 7 YEAR OLD LEARNS OF HER FATE DURING OVERSEAS CALL

Seven-year-old Paige DeJean called her daddy every Sunday to keep him updated about school, her friends and just how much she has missed him since he deployed to the Middle East in June with his Louisiana Army National Guard unit.

But on Sunday, instead of a bubbly conversation with his little girl, Staff Sgt. Henry DeJean received a call from her mother with the devastating news that Paige had been killed, shot by a stray bullet as she slept in her River Ridge apartment.


"He was thinking it was his daughter calling him. He had no idea somebody was calling him to tell him she got shot," said Mia DeJean-Yepez, Henry DeJean's sister.

Paige was shot in the neck Sunday just after 4 a.m. as she slept on an air mattress with a 10-year-old cousin in her living room at Mark Twain II apartments, 10950 Jefferson Highway. She was taken to Ochsner Medical Center in Old Jefferson, where she was pronounced dead.

Authorities still aren't sure exactly what happened, but several bullets ripped through two buildings in the apartment complex, according to Sheriff's Office spokesman Col. John Fortunato.

No one else was injured.

Deputies investigating complaints of gunfire in the area around the same time Paige was shot found several .9 mm shell casings in the 200-300 blocks of South Upland Avenue.


Paige's building sits on the western side of the complex near the intersection of Upland and Jefferson Highway.


By early Monday evening, investigators had no suspects in her murder. Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Thursday, November 12th 2009 at 7:52PM
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