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PORT NECHES — Crime is heating up in Southeast Texas but police in Port Neches are busy chasing those they believe are responsible.

On July 2, at approximately 5:39 p.m., an officer responded to Dollar General on Magnolia where a person was attempting to pass counterfeit bills. The suspect left and was followed by a Dollar General employee who reportedly saw the person turn into the nearby Walgreens.

The officer stopped the man as he was walking away. He was identified as Kalen Harden from Indiana. Police reportedly found counterfeit $100 bills, numerous credit cards, a social security card and a birth certificate; none of which belonged to Hardin, as well as drug paraphernalia.

Police believe Hardin matches the description of a person from a previous forgery report taken at Dollar General in June.

Hardin was found to have a non-extradition warrant out of Indiana for counterfeiting. He was arrested for forgery and brought to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility.

July 3

At 8 p.m. June 3, an officer made a traffic stop in the 700 block of Ridgewood Drive. Two women and one man were in the car, according to police. The man had no identification and allegedly gave a false name, police said.

While being detained he took off on foot, leading officers across Twin City Highway and southbound, cutting back to Birchwood Avenue where he was picked up by someone in a SUV.

Police continued to look for the vehicle but the driver refused to stop and eventually ended up on Hogaboom Road. Port Neches officers, with assistance from the Groves Police Department, took the two people in the SUV into custody.

The driver was identified as Shakara Louis of Port Arthur and 21-year-old Chris Jamal Landor of Port Arthur was identified as the passenger.

Landor has two active Jefferson County warrants for motion to revoke probation for deadly conduct and evading.

Landor is charged with for evading arrest/detention, fail to identify and the warrants.

Louis was arrested for evading arrest/detention. Both men were taken to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility.

July 5

On the morning of July 5, at approximately 10 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a possible intoxicated subject leaving a residence in a vehicle with a child passenger. While officers were en route, the subject left the residence. An officer stopped at the residence to get additional information while other officers began searching for the vehicle. One officer observed a vehicle crossing Magnolia several blocks away. The vehicle matched the description of the one they were searching for, and he communicated this information to other officers. A sergeant located the vehicle northbound on Magnolia and was able to get the vehicle stopped, according to information from Port Neches Police Department.

Police conducted a field investigation and determined the driver, identified as 43-year-old Monica Richie of Port Neches, was operating the vehicle while intoxicated with a passenger under 15 years of age. Richie was arrested for DWI with child passenger and taken to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility.

Later that night

Criminal activity continued into the night when police were called around 9:03 p.m. to Central Maxi Storage in the 800 block of Ridgewood regarding two suspicious males attempting to burglarize a building or vehicle.

Officers were notified there were two men walking around the U-Hauls pulling on door handles while a passenger was sitting in the intersection with its lights off.

When officers arrived, the vehicle and U-Haul were leaving the area with no lights.

A sergeant H. Smith arrived in the area, saw a large U-Haul truck and the passenger car in a new neighborhood development near Abby Flooring. He attempted to stop both vehicles. The driver of the U-Haul drove around the police unit, almost striking it, and turned West bound onto Nall Street, headed over the overpass.

Nederland Police units were positioned to assist on the other side of the overpass and attempted to stop the U-Haul. However, the driver of the U-Haul engaged the officers in a pursuit, which eventually ended in Beaumont, where the driver was apprehended. He was identified as 17-year-old Travion Frazier out of Beaumont.

Meanwhile, the sergeant was able to get the passenger car, occupied by two males, stopped on Sierra Drive. Police located two firearms in the vehicle, a .40 caliber pistol, and a sawed-off shotgun.

 

The passenger, identified as 18-year-old Nakkeya Brandon out of Beaumont, was arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon. Frazier was arrested for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading. Both were taken to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility. Possible charges are pending on the driver of the passenger car.