A 47-year-old New Orleans man is facing an aggravated assault charge after investigators say he pulled a gun on a neighbor, fired his rifle multiple times, and struck the victim’s car during a confrontation on the 2100 block of Saint Maurice Street last Saturday. When New Orleans Police Department detectives finally tracked Somige Augustine down at an undisclosed address in New Orleans East, they say they found something else waiting inside: seven firearms and a stash of narcotics.
According to WDSU, police say Augustine threatened the victim with a gun before firing his rifle multiple times on August 8, with one round hitting the victim’s vehicle. Investigators identified Augustine as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant, then located him in New Orleans East, where officers reported finding the seven firearms and narcotics inside the residence where he was staying. He was booked with aggravated assault and aggravated criminal damage to property.
The aggravated criminal damage charge alone carries significant weight under Louisiana law. Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:55 defines aggravated criminal damage to property as intentionally damaging a structure or movable property where it’s foreseeable that human life could be endangered, a felony punishable by one to 15 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000, according to the Louisiana State Legislature.
Firearm Involvement Could Escalate Charges
The involvement of a firearm in the alleged assault also matters for how prosecutors could ultimately charge the case. While a basic aggravated assault charge in Louisiana is a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail, aggravated assault committed with a firearm becomes a felony under La. R.S. § 14:37.4, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines as high as $10,000, per Phillips Law…