Texas Fugitive Caught in Arkansas, Steals and wrecks police car
The Town Talk - - Rapides Parish Kidnap Victim unharmed
03/13/03
A Texas fugitive allegedly interested in a violent confrontation with authorities after
kidnapping a Rapides Parish man, was arrested Wednesday in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The fugitive - Orenthel James Francois, 26, of Port Arthur, Texas - was arrested after
wrecking a stolen police car on Interstate 30 south of Little Rock.
Francois cut his head on the steering wheel after losing control of the police car during
a high-speed chase. The car traveled across an I-30 median and crashed into a stand of
trees lining the I-30 shoulder.
The arrest ends a two-day, three-state manhunt in which Francois said he would not be
taken alive.
The unidentified kidnapping victim was not harmed and was en route to Rapides Parish late
Wednesday. He was the second man Francois allegedly kidnapped during his run from the law.
The first was a Texas man that Francois forced to drive to Many on Tuesday.
Little Rock Police Sgt. Terry Hastings said Wednesday that Francois forced the Louisiana
victim at gunpoint to drive him to Arkansas. Francois had a deputy's service pistol from
the Chambers County, Texas Sheriff's Office.
Once in Little Rock, Francois got out of the vehicle in the downtown area about 4:30 of the
situation.
Two officers approached Francois, who admitted that he was wanted in Texas. Francois also
told the officers that they would have to kill him to take him into custody, Hastings said.
The officers attempted to arrest Francois, but he fought them off even after officers doused
him in pepper spray, Hastings said. Francois broke free of the officers and stole a police
car sitting idle at the scene.
After wrecking the vehicle, Francois was booked as a fugitive in the Pulaski County, AR jail.
Francois may be turned over to the FBI and returned to Texas to face those charges, Hastings
said.
Avoyelles and Rapides Parish sheriff's deputies, Louisiana State Police, Mansura police and
federal officials were hunting for Francois on Wednesday.
Authorities thought it possible that Francois had remained in the Mansura area or possibly the
Boyce area. However, there were no other sightings of Francois until authorities received
Wednesday's kidnapping report.
Chief Bill Robinson of the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office said it appears the victim was
abducted in a possible carjacking in Rapides Parish.
Authorities planned to question the man and gather more details when he returned to Rapides
Parish.
After being notified of the kidnapping, Louisiana authorities learned that Francois had been
captured about 5 p.m. in Arkansas.
The three-state manhunt began Tuesday near Winnie, Texas, when Francois allegedly stole a
Chambers County sheriff's deputy's gun during an arrest on Interstate 10.
Francois fired shots at the officers and then at a passing motorist, Texas authorities said. No one
was injured.
Francois got away on foot, stole a bicycle and broke into the home of Brian Edgerly of Winnie,
investigators said.
Francois wearing nothing but underwear, allegedly kidnapped Edgerly and took his shirt and vehicle.
Edgerly was release, unharmed, about 10 a.m., Tuesday on La. Highway 6 near Many, Sabine Parish
sheriff's Chief Deputy Travis Bennett said.
Texas authorities flew to Many to return Edgerly to his home.
Edgerly's stolen sports utility vehicle was found on Zelynne Street in Mansura about 6 p.m.,
Tuesday, said Mansura Police Chief Phillip Lucas.
Cellular telephone calls to a residence in Mansura led federal and state investigators to the
Avoyelles Parish town. Francois apparently used a stolen cell phone to call his girlfriend,
Lucas said.
Francois' girlfriend had been staying in Mansura for about two months.
Several residents reported seeing him in town, but his unidentified girlfriend told authorities
she dropped him off on Interstate 49 near Boyce.
Francois was released in May 2001 after serving nine years of a 30-year sentence for a drug
conviction, authorities said.
Officers searched some homes Tuesday and Wednesday but found nothing, Lucas said.
On Tuesday night, Rapides Parish sheriff's deputies, FBI, State Police, U.S. Marshal's
Service and blood hounds from Camp Beauregard searched the Boyce area.
On Wednesday, deputies patrolled the areas on the lookout.
State Police Trooper Vernon Spurgeon said troopers were on a "heightened state of patrol,"
especially along I-49 and were watching closely, foot traffic along the roadways.
FBI Special Agent Sheila Thorne of the New Orleans office said the FBI was involved to
assist in the search.
Francois was wanted on state charges out of Texas and was being sought by Texas authorities,
she said.
The incident stirred tensions in Mansura, said Lucas, who had received calls Tuesday night
about the manhunt and the possibility that Francois was still there.
The Rapids Parish Sheriff's Office reported receiving some calls form concerned residents in
the Boyce area.