St. Tammany News

A St. Tammany Parish grand jury indicted six area residents for separate incidents Tuesday, one for vehicular homicide and five others for sexual-related crimes, including rape and incest of children under 13.

Angela Miller, 32, of Slidell, was indicted for negligent homicide in the Thanksgiving Day death of 26-year-old Daniel Hare Jr. at the corner of Gause Boulevard and Front Street in Slidell. During the 12:51 a.m. accident, Miller, who was allegedly drinking, is accused of running a red light in a beige SUV and plowing into the driver's side of Hare's Mazda MZ3. The impact knocked Hare's car 80 feet and bashed the door inside 9 inches.

Hare was semi-conscious when extricated from the vehicle and rushed to Slidell Memorial Hospital, where he later died. Miller was also booked with DWI and disobeying a red light. If convicted of vehicular homicide, she faces no less than five years and no more than 30 years in prison, District Attorney Walter Reed spokesman Rick Wood said.

Also Tuesday, the grand jury indicted a 62-year-old man from Bush on three counts of aggravated incest and his son, a 35-year-old from Covington, on one count of aggravated rape, Wood said.

The older man is accused of attacking two females under the age of 13, while the younger man is accused of raping one of those victims. The alleged incidents occurred over a span of roughly four years between May 2003 and September 2007, Wood said.

If convicted, the younger man faces a mandatory life in prison and is eligible for the death penalty under a Louisiana law allowing prosecutors to make a capital case if rape victims are younger than 13, Wood said.

His father faces up to 25 years to life for each charge of aggravated incest, Wood said.

James Hodge Jr, 17, of Mandeville was also indicted on aggravated rape charges for allegedly attacking a male younger than 13 between June 2005 and October 2007, Wood said. Hodge may also face the death penalty if convicted as an adult, despite the fact he may have been 15 at the time of the alleged incidents, Wood said.

The incidents came to light when the victim "just innocently described what happened" to his mother, who later reported to law enforcement officials, Wood said.

"That's normally what happens with kids. They report it to their mothers, who report it to police," Wood said.

In yet another sex-related case, Jacinto Elizalde Martinez, 74, of Slidell was indicted on sexual battery charges and faces 25 years to life if convicted, Wood said.

The victim, allegedly abused in early December last year, was younger than 13, Wood said. Aaron Salter, 45, of Slidell was also indicted for aggravated rape and faces mandatory life in prison or the death penalty if convicted for three days of attacks in late August last year, Wood said.

The female victim, a visitor from Mississippi, was driven to a trailer park where the offense first occurred, then Salter allegedly kept her against her will for three more day where she was rape repeatedly, Wood said.

"She was held against her will for three days," Wood said. "But the idea of kidnapping is taking her somewhere," and she was inside Salter's home, likely originally visiting on her own accord, Wood said.

If convicted, Salter faces mandatory life in prison or the death penalty if pursued by prosecutors, Wood said.