Louisiana State Police, Lincoln Parish Sheriffs Office, Ruston Police, and Grambling State University police made five arrests over the weekend related to alcohol impaired driving.
On May 6, while performing patrol duties, a LPSO deputy saw a vehicle tailgating another and crossing the lane markings. When the deputy stopped the car, the motorist, identified as Daracia Beard, 34, of Jonesboro, had a strong smell of alcohol on her breath and her eyes were bloodshot. Beard said she had taken a couple of shots earlier. LPSO officers found multiple open bottles of liquor in the vehicle. Beard was booked on DWI, first offense and open containers.
On May 7, a GSU sergeant saw I’Janae Medlock, 22, of Grambling, in front of McCall Dining Facility acting in an aggressive manner. As the sergeant got out of the vehicle, Medlock was being held back by two people while she yelled obscenities at an employee in the building. Medlock’s friends were trying to guide her back to a vehicle she had been in, and the sergeant knocked on the car window and pulled on the car handle. The suspect then placed the car in drive and accelerated north down Main Street of campus. The sergeant got into the unit and pursued. The suspect stopped the car and found a bottle of alcohol in the vehicle and an open cup with suspected alcohol in it. Medlock was booked with disturbing the peace, open container and careless operation.
That same day, RPD dispatched to an unconscious motorist at Circle K on US 167. Officers found Troy Beirs, 24, of Ruston, and suspected him to be impaired. He was sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle with his hand on the gear shift and foot on the gas. Beirs was charged with DWI, first offense.
Also on that day, a LSP trooper saw a F-150 crossing fog lines. When a traffic stop was initiated, the trooper said Blake McGahan, 22, of Ruston, had watery eyes, slurred speech, and an odor of alcohol on his person. McGahan said he had drunk 5-6 beers during the evening. McGahan was booked on DWI, first offense.
On May 8, a state trooper saw a vehicle fail to maintain its lane numerous times. At one point the vehicle left the roadway to the left and nearly struck the guardrail on a bridge. The trooper initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Robert Turwa, 32, of Dallas. Turwa displayed obvious signs of impairment and admitted to drinking two beers. He was booked on DWI, first offense.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
