PRAIRIEVILLE - A man was arrested for attempted murder after setting fire to a building he was staying in while someone was inside, according to the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal.
The former chief deputy for Ascension Parish Assessor M.J. “Mert” Smiley Jr. turned himself in on Tuesday, April 23 after being accused of tampering with the tax-assessed values on his personal property. The Gonzales Police Department arrested Justin Champlin, 44, and booked him into the Ascension Parish Jail just before 11 a.m. He is charged with two counts of tampering with a computer (a misdemeanor). He is also charged with two counts of injuring public records and malfeasance in office.