Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
THIBODAUX, La. (WGNO) — A Thibodaux couple has been arrested after a traffic stop in Baytown, Texas opened up an attempted murder investigation.
On April 20, Baytown police received reports of a vehicle driving recklessly on Interstate 10 East. The car later crashed onto a service road.
The following day, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office reported deputies received information from the Department of Child Family Services about a 15-year-old who had been found “badly burned, shot multiple times” in the Baytown crash. After being taken to a hospital, a Baytown officer said the victim’s injuries were “the worst she has seen in her entire career.”
“Being a dad that’s a protective dad to get that phone call, I’m not okay because I feel like I didn’t do what I needed to do to protect my child,” said Timothy Johnson, the victim’s father.
TPSO officers said they also learned that 40-year-old Latonya Harris, 41-year-old Terrence Washington and a child had been taken into custody after the crash.
Baytown police said that during an interview, Washington allegedly admitted to shooting the teen during a disturbance with Harris at their Thibodaux home before leaving for Texas.
“She will make it. She has a long long long road to recovery, and not just physical but mentally man. That’s not good,” Johnson said.
According to the TPSO, “Washington also admitted to being responsible for sexual abuse of the victim, which lasted numerous months prior to the victim’s injuries.”
They said Washington allegedly knew the teen had been burned in February 2024 and was being treated by Harris.
TPSO officials said the child found in the car at the time of the crash told detectives in an interview that they were woken up “to the sight of the victim’s body on fire, as Latonya Harris stood over her bed with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a lighter.”
Investigators were also made aware that the victim was shot on two separate days.
TPSO detectives searched the home in the 400 block of West Park Avenue, where they allegedly found “evidence to confirm that a weapon was shot inside the home.”
“It’s horrible capable of doing and I’m just in shock at it because that poor child,” Thibodaux resident Lora Benoit said.
Detectives went to Texas for an additional interview with Washington, who officers said admitted he was holding a gun during a disturbance on April 19 when it went off and shot the victim.
They said he also told detectives he learned Harris allegedly burned the victim in February when he got home from work.
According to the TPSO, “Washington stated that the victim was burned after Harris learned of the sexual abuse with the victim.”
Harris was released from a Texas hospital on May 9 and taken into custody after returning to Terrebonne Parish.
Harris faces charges of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and domestic abuse battery child endangerment.
Washington is currently in the custody of the Harris County Detention Center in connection with charges in Texas and will later be remanded to the Terrebonne Parish. TPSO officials said arrest warrants were obtained for Washington on two counts of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, obstruction of justice, molestation of a juvenile, three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and five counts of second-degree rape.
“I’m going to do any and everything I can to make sure she’s okay and that justice is served. She knows that everybody love her. She know I love her. She hears it from me every day. There’s not a day that goes by where she don’t hear it from me,” Johnson said.
The investigation is ongoing.
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