Abbeville's Most Wanted Captured in Virginia

February 25, 2010 - Lafayette, LA – The Abbeville Police Department and U.S. Marshals are pleased to announce the arrest of Jamaal Diggs. Diggs was Wanted by the Abbeville Police Department for Second Degree Murder and Louisiana Probation and Parole for Probation Violation. It is alleged that Diggs killed D’Jacquaney Mitchel in broad daylight in Abbeville on December 10, 2009. On December 15, 2009 the Abbeville Police Department requested the assistance of the U.S. Marshals and since then, the Abbeville PD, the U.S. Marshals, and Louisiana Probation and Parole (and multiple other agencies) have worked tirelessly on this investigation. The Abbeville Police Department and US Marshals have run down numerous local leads and US Marshals in Houston, Dallas, and San Francisco contributed to this investigation as well. Ultimately, it was the US Marshals Capital Area Regional Task Force in Richmond, Virginia along with U.S. Marshals in Newport News, VA that arrested Diggs. Diggs was arrested a little after 1:00 p.m. CST without incident and will be housed in Newport News, VA until he is extradited back to Abbeville.

Tommy Hancock, the United States Marshal for the Western District of Louisiana, said, “The coordinated effort of all law enforcement to bring dangerous criminals to justice ensures that the streets and neighborhoods of Louisiana are a safer place to raise our children.”

The Western District of Louisiana’s Fugitive Task Force (WDLA) in Lafayette is a team comprised of full-time law enforcement officers from the Lafayette City Marshals, Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Police Department, and St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office. Further, WDLA calls upon part-time TFO’s throughout its eight parish area. In 2009 WDLA in Lafayette closed approximately 600 Warrants, most of which were violent felony offenses. US Marshals Task Forces throughout the United States arrested more than 73,000 state and local fugitives on felony charges.