“Far too comfortable” suspect breaks into Washington Parish home, found naked in recliner

BOGALUSA, La. (WGNO) — A Washington Parish deputy received more than what he bargained for this week after discovering a man indisposed inside the home he’s accused of breaking into.

According to the WPSO Facebook page, 50-year-old Jessie Patterson was taken into custody on Monday (Oct. 24) on charges that include simple burglary, prohibited acts, and resisting an officer.

Detectives say it all started when the deputy was working on a report of a suspicious person on Reid Pigott Road in Bogalusa. The report indicated a man carrying a large stick who was walking through a yard and then into a wooded area.

When the deputy arrived, he wasn’t immediately able to find the man, however, his luck changed when he was asked to check a nearby home. With the door unlocked, the deputy entered the home to find the man, identified as Patterson, naked and sitting in a recliner.

Detectives say Patterson then told the deputy that he was renting the home, however, a quick call to the homeowner revealed that was not true. Patterson was then arrested, reclothed, and taken to the Washington Parish Jail.

Once at the jail, we’re told Patterson refused to exit the patrol vehicle and had to be removed, then escorted in by several deputies. He was booked and held on a $25,000 bond.

According to Sheriff Randy Seal, this wasn’t Patterson’s first run-in with the law. Before his arrest, Patterson had previous stays at the jail in 2008, 2016, 2021, and earlier this year. Charges for those arrests were not disclosed.

Here’s what Seal had to say about Patterson’s arrest:

“Mr. Patterson was far too comfortable in another person’s residence. I’m glad our officer was able to clothe him before transporting him to jail. After already making one unwise decision to force his way into a residence, Patterson made another unwise decision by refusing to exit the deputy’s vehicle and walk into the jail like a man. Our deputies persuaded him otherwise. Welcome to the Washington Parish Jail, Mr. Patterson.”