Manhunt concluded, suspect arrested

STANLEY, La. — DeSoto Parish sheriff's deputies have arrested a man who led them on a manhunt that started Tuesday night and ended Wednesday afternoon with his capture. Deputies searched an area on U.S. Highway 84 in Stanley looking for Jeffrey Cassels, 43. He was wanted in connection with what was described as a domestic situation, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies staged at Stanley High School as a precautionary measure during the search because of a basketball game. Cassels was located around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when a local business off Natural Gas Road in Logansport reported a person matching Cassels' description had broken in and was still there. Diligent actions by employees and quick response from deputies are credited with Cassels being taken into custody without incident. Cassels became the subject of the manhunt after a 911 caller reported someone had forced entry into a relative's home. However, during the call the dispatcher overheard statements that indicated a firearm may be involved and the suspect was possibly inside the residence. Deputies were immediately dispatched. At the same time, a district ballgame was also beginning at the nearby Stanley High School. Deputies were already at the school with more being dispatched until details of the situation could be obtained. Deputies were able clear the residence to determine Cassels was no longer inside. There was no indication he was armed or specific information on the direction that he headed. During the search, a van stolen in a church burglary in Sabine Parish was also located. Cassels had driven it to that location, the sheriff's office said. K-9s were deployed and continued searching until exhaustion set in. Still, deputies remained circulating in the area throughout the night and into Wednesday. Cassels was booked into the DeSoto Parish Detention Center on two counts of simple burglary and one count of illegal possession of stolen things. No bond has been set.