Suspected Arsonist Apprehended in Louisiana in Connection with Multiple Roadside and Forest Fires in Natchitoches Parish

Published March 30, 2023

Suspected Arsonist Apprehended in Louisiana in Connection with Multiple Roadside and Forest Fires in Natchitoches Parish

New Orleans, Louisiana – A suspected arsonist has been apprehended in Louisiana in connection with multiple roadside and forest fires in Natchitoches Parish.

On March 29, 2023, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) reported that on March 17, a Natchitoches Parish man was apprehended in New Orleans, Louisiana by the United States Marshal Service Violent Offender Task Force.

Billy Ellerbe, Jr., of Natchitoches, Louisiana was apprehended as a result of warrants issued by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office for separate counts of arson (NPSO). The charges were the outcome of a joint investigation by the LDAF Forestry Enforcement Division and the NPSO.

Several roadside and forest fires were started in Natchitoches Parish in January 2023. These flames not only threatened woods, residences, and a cemetery, but they also slowed traffic on I-49 and nearby highways and overpasses.

Detectives from the LDAF and NPSO attempted to catch Ellerbe several times before he escaped the parish. When investigators heard of Ellerbe’s whereabouts in New Orleans, the US Marshals Violent Offender Task Force was dispatched to capture him.

“Arson is a very serious crime and poses a great risk to both life and property,” said Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M. “Whether the arson is unintentional or deliberate, LDAF’s Forestry Enforcement Division works closely with partner agencies across the state to bring offenders to justice.”

Ellerbe was booked as a fugitive in the Orleans Parish jail and extradited to the Natchitoches Parish jail. LDAF investigators have charged him with one crime of arson for multiple fires set on January 27, one offense of simple littering, and an additional case of arson by NPSO investigators for a fire set on February 10. There is currently no bond set for the LDAF charges. The NPSO charges, however, are subject to a $25,000 bond.

An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Authorities indicated that any forestry-related offenses should be reported to the LDAF’s 24-hour hotline at 1-855-452-5323.