OPELOUSAS, La. — The Opelousas Police Department arrested a deputy city marshal working at the entrance of the St. Landry Parish Courthouse after one victim told police he was missing $1200 after passing through security on Monday.
Timothy J. Castille, 34, of Opelousas was arrested Tuesday by OPD for Malfeasance in Office, Theft and Possession of Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance.
According to Sgt. Brandon Harris, OPD received a call from St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard on Monday who was requesting that an officer come to the St. Landry Parish Courthouse to investigate a possible theft.
Harris said he went to the courthouse to meet with Bellard, who said that someone who had previously entered the courthouse was missing $1,200 in cash that he said had been stolen from him.
Harris said he reviewed surveillance footage of the main entrance of the courthouse, which is manned by a deputy city marshal who asks citizens to place their belongings in a basket, which is passed through an x-ray machine, before they themselves pass through a metal detector.
Harris said that the footage showed the victim place his belongings from his pockets into the basket for the marshal to run through the machine.
At that point, Harris said, the marshal allegedly retrieved the basket and walked to the opposite end of the machine, but appeared to retrieve something from inside the basket.
Harris said that the footage showed the marshal secured the basket in the machine, but without the victim's wallet. Apparently, the footage shows the marshal with the wallet in one hand and the money in another.
Harris said that the marshal was identified as Castille and was asked to come to the station for an interview.
Harris said that Castille denied the accusation of committing theft, even after being confronted with the evidence.
Harris said he then obtained written permission from Castille to search his vehicle. That's where he found $4,800 and a small medicine bottle that is believed to contain suspected marijuana.
OPD then arrested Castille who was then booked into the St. Landry Parish Jail.
Harris said that OPD is looking to identify a potential second victim who came through the courthouse entrance after the first.
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