Eighteen-Year-Old Charged in Multiple Thefts, Shooting Incident

Devon Lester

By Jessie Williams 

An 18-year-old Lafayette man is facing multiple charges after being connected to three different thefts and a shooting incident that endangered residents. 

According to the affidavits of complaint, Sergeant Josh McClard. of the Lafayette Police Department, responded to a burglary call at a Sewell Street apartment at approximately 2:30 pm on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. 

The primary items stolen from the residence were jewelry. 

While on the scene, the officer spoke with 18-year-old Devon Lester, who was staying next door. A pat down was conducted for officer safety, and items were detected in his pocket.

Two earrings were pulled out of Lester’s pocket.

While canvassing the area outside, officers found more jewelry in plain view through the window of Lester’s mother’s SUV. 

During an interview, Lester admitted to entering the apartment and taking the items without the owner’s consent.

Some items were recovered and others had already been traded or sold, according to Lester.

The value of all of the items was over $1,000. 

Lester was placed under arrest at that time and transported to the Macon County Justice Center to be booked for burglary and theft. 

During interviews with Lester, officers were able to connect him to three other crimes. 

One such incident was the theft of a vehicle that he admitted to taking from his mother’s residence on Bratton Ave. Lester told law enforcement he took the vehicle to Nashville and gave it to a group of people who sunk it in the Cumberland River. He was charged with theft of property over $1,000.

During a mirandized interview, Lester also admitted to stealing two Spypoint cameras that were  located at the end of a driveway on Hall Lane.

The cameras were reported stolen on March 5, 2023 and officers perviously received information that Lester was in the backseat of a white Toyota Corolla that was seen on the cameras just before they were stolen. 

Lester was charged with theft of property under $100 in this case. 

During one of these theft investigations, Lester also confessed to shooting a 9 mm handgun in the woods behind a home on Meador Drive.

The shooting had been reported on June 1, 2023. Officers responded to the shots fired call but no-one was found at the scene. The following Friday, it was reported that a house in the same area had been shot up. The shots came from the woods behind the house and projected towards Key Park. One slug and 9 mm shell casings were found at the scene. 

The neighborhood was canvassed and a video was obtained from a resident showing a male fitting Lester’s description coming from the wooded area the day of the report.

Lester was charged with endangerment with a firearm.

His bond was set at $26,500 and he is scheduled to appear in general sessions court on July 19 and July 26, 2023.