Local Man Arrested After Allegedly Beating Accused Thief With Aluminum Bat

It appears that an Opelousas man may have taken the law into his own hands - literally.

53-year-old Leon Cassimere, Jr., has been arrested after he was allegedly caught on Sunday night beating another male with an aluminum bat. Investigating deputies with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office say, when questioned, Cassimere accused the victim of stealing items from his property multiple times and that he wanted to handle the situation himself.

The alleged beating happened in a ditch near the intersection of Lilac Road and Highway 167 in Opelousas. Investigators say the victim was walking down Highway 167 that day when Cassimere allegedly pulled the jeep over, got out with the bat and yelled, "I'm going to kill you!" before beating the victim. A witness told deputies that the white male victim crawled out of the ditch covered in blood as Cassimere drove away in a black jeep as he left the scene. One of the witnesses says he tried to follow the jeep but traffic interfered. He was able to take a picture of the back of the jeep, getting the license plate before losing sight of the vehicle.

Cassimere has been booked into the St. Landry Parish Jail on a charge of Attempted Second Degree Murder with a bond set at $75,000.00.