L’Observateur / June 14, 2000

HAHNVILLE – A New Orleans man remains in custody after being charged with an April 11 rape in St. Rose.According to Chief Joseph Cardella of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office,Austin Seals, 25, picked up a 20-year-old Marrero woman and drove her to the end of Oak Street in St. Rose.Once there, Cardella continued, Seals beat her in the face with a beer bottle, ordered her out of his car and demanded her gold ring. After stealing herring he then allegedly forced sexual intercourse on her then fled in an unknown direction.

The victim walked to a nearby residence and called the sheriff’s office.

Cardella said Detective Chad Robichaux began looking at similar cases in surrounding parishes, got certain information and ran it down, turning up Seals, who was taken into custody June 9 in Kenner.

Seals was booked in Kenner as a fugitive then charged in Hahnville with aggravated rape, oral sexual battery, aggravated crime against nature and armed robbery.

Further identification was made by one of the victims, Cardella added.

“He did a lot of legwork to put this together,” Cardella said of Robichaux.

Cardella added that Seals is a suspect as well in a mid-February rape incident and may be involved in similar incidents in surrounding parishes.

In the February case, a woman was taken from the New Orleans area, raped and abandoned near the East St. Charles Volunteer Fire Department stationnear Destrehan Plantation, Cardella said.

Seals’ bond was set at $300,000 by 29th Judicial District Judge Robert Chaisson, and he remains in custody at this time, Cardella said.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to call Robichaux at 443-0334 or 783-6807.

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