One of Acadiana’s most wanted fugitives arrested in Vermilion Parish

According to the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer and Violent Crimes Task Force Director Eddie Langlinais, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, along with Lafayette Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Abbeville Police Department, and the Attorney General’s office, made an arrest on one of Acadiana’s most wanted fugitives.
One of Vermilion Crime Stoppers most wanted fugitives, Gavin Garnica (DOB 3-19-2002) of Abbeville was apprehended Wednesday. The successful capture of Garnica was the result of multiple agencies collaborating their efforts on an extensive fugitive search over the past several months.
Due to Garnica having arrest warrants in multiple parishes, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Police Department, and the Attorney General’s Office began a search for Garnica within their parish.
Upon a first attempt to take Garnica into custody, he attempted to evade the arrest by fleeing, which resulted in a car chase starting in Lafayette Parish, and ended with Garnica’s arrest in Vermilion Parish.
“He is known to be a violent individual with a propensity to put law enforcement and the innocent public at risk.”
Langlinais states, “Garnica has a past history of escape from custody, aggravated flight from law enforcement and a complete disregard for the public’s safety, all of which creates a high-risk apprehension for law enforcement and threatens public safety”
Langlinais continues, “There is a lot of planning that goes into making these type of high-profile fugitive arrests because these type offenders know law enforcement is after them and it can cause the fugitive to react with a nothing to lose type mentality which has the potential to escalate rapidly putting the offender, officers and the public’s safety at risk. Yesterday’s mission was a successful one, and the favorable outcome gives credit to the united effort of the many agencies involved and to the law enforcement officers with boots on the ground seeing it through to the end,” said Langlinais.
The chase for Garnica ended when the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Task Force was able to box Garnica in at a location in Abbeville by setting up a perimeter of law enforcement presence from Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Abbeville Police, Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office task force. The assistance from the Louisiana State Police air support played a huge roll in the ability to maintain eyes on Garnica as he tried to evade capture.
“You can see from the litany of criminal charges, Garnica’s capture was a priority not only for our agency, but several surrounding agencies as well.” Sheriff Couvillon wants to thank everyone who collaborated on this apprehension and is proud of how all law enforcement agencies came together for the common goal of public safety.
Listed below are the charges per agency:

Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office and Abbeville police Department:

• Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (2 counts), Simple Burglary, Intimidating a Witness, Simple Assault
• Battery of a Dating Partner, False Imprisonment
• Simple Escape
• Resisting Arrest, Aggravated Flight, Reckless Operation, Vehicular Negligent Injuring
·• PWITD Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in the Presence of CDS
• Attempted 1st Degree Murder, Illegal use of Dangerous Instrumentalities, Possession of a Firearm in a Firearm Free Zone
• Felony FTA PWITD Marijuana
• Possession with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana
• Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
• Proceeds from Drug Offenses
• Possession of a Schedule II narcotic
Taking Contraband Into a Penal Facility

• Lafayette Police Department:

• Aggravated Kidnapping
• Battery of a Dating Partner
• Carjacking
• Resisting Arrest by Flight
• Unauthorized Entry of Business Place (2 counts)
• Contempt for Possession of Firearm in the Presence of CDS
• Possession of a Stolen Firearm
• PWITD Marijuana
• Resisting Arrest

Iberia Parish:

• Felony FTA Illegal use of Weapons or Dangerous Instrumentalities, and Assault by Drive-by Shooting