BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – A woman is in custody in connection with a drive-by shooting that allegedly took place this summer in the 6200 block of Lanier Drive.
Aarinesha Augustus, 30, of Baton Rouge is accused of firing a weapon into a home. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office started an investigation on Tuesday, July 25.
A woman said she was inside her home with her child “when she heard multiple loud sounds followed by glass breaking,” according to the affidavit. Investigators determined that the home and a vehicle were hit by gunfire. They were able to gather witness testimony, video footage from the area and information from license plate readers.
The video showed an SUV heading by the home when “a firearm can be heard discharging several times before the vehicle flees the scene at a high rate of speed,” according to the affidavit. Through further investigation, EBRSO was able to figure out that the rental vehicle was a 2021 Mitsubishi Mirage.
The rental company confirmed that Augustus rented the vehicle on Friday, July 14. The SUV was reportedly found at a hotel on Sherwood Forest Court and towed away. Investigators reportedly searched the room Augustus was staying in and a uncovered a gun and ammunition. Detectives said Augustus was not allowed to possess a weapon due to a prior conviction.
She was taken into custody on Wednesday, July 26, and charged with illegal possession of firearm by a convicted felon before bonding out.
When questioned, she “denied being involved in the shooting and further denied owning or possessing a firearm,” according to the affidavit. Augustus admitted to renting the SUV and being the only one to use it. During the investigation, gun powder residue was found inside the vehicle.
Detectives were able to get an arrest warrant on Friday, Aug. 11 after finding more evidence.
The LSP Fugitive Task Force found Augustus at a motel on Airline Highway on Wednesday, Sept. 20, according to the sheriff’s office.
She was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of assault by drive-by shooting and one count of aggravated criminal damage to property. As of the publishing of this article, a bond has not been set for Augustus.
