On April 1 at 11 a.m., Julius Layfield, 45, was taken into custody by APD and charged with one count of vehicular homicide/DWI, one count of vehicular negligent injury and one count of hit and run. Bond was set at $300,000.
APD Chief Chad Gremillion further revealed that the suspect is accused of driving drunk at the time of the hit-and-run:
“The men and women of the Alexandria Police Department worked with urgency and determination to bring this case to a close. Through close coordination with our partners at the Louisiana State Police, the support of our community and the use of the latest law enforcement technology, officers were able to identify the suspect vehicle and make an arrest within 12 hours. Tragically, the victims were struck by a drunk driver, underscoring the serious and often unpredictable dangers surrounding these incidents.”
Alexandria Police Chief Chad Gremillion
To recap, on March 31, Lacaze, 16, and a 16-year-old girl were standing on the right side of a road’s shoulder around 11 p.m. when a vehicle driving southbound on Eddie Williams Avenue hit both of them and fled the scene. Both were taken to a local medical center with serious injuries. Shortly after, Lacaze was pronounced deceased.