Pair accused of fighting juveniles with whip and bat in roadside ditch

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Authorities say a Sunday evening fight started in Oberlin ended with a melee in the ditch on the side of the road in Lacassine.

The fight started on the Calcasieu River in Oberlin and continued until one vehicle forced another off the service road south of I-10 in Lacassine around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, said Chief Deputy Chris Ivey, spokesman for the Jeff Davis Sheriff’s Office. A fight then progressed in the ditch, with two adults with a whip and a wooden bat fighting a group of juveniles in the ditch.

Deputies patrolling La. 101 in Lacassine were flagged down by a passerby, who informed them of the ongoing fight in the ditch, Ivey said. When deputies arrived, they found several juveniles and two adults. They attempted to leave but were ordered to stop.

Raven Leigh Cole, 28, and Hunter Wayne Blanchard, 25, both of Lafayette, were both arrested and booked into the parish jail.

• Blanchard: Disturbing the peace by fighting, aggravated assault, aggravated second-degree battery, and cruelty to juveniles.
• Cole: Cruelty to juveniles, aggravated second-degree battery, and aggravated assault (3 counts).

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