You never know what dangers might be lurking on a dark street in the still of the night. The trees can hide all kinds of surprises, and silhouettes of houses as you zip by can be a bit creepy. That's especially true when you come upon an abandoned house perched in the middle of the road. Wait, what?
This is the scenario that played out early on May 22 in Loreauville, Louisiana, a small village approximately 130 miles west of New Orleans. A report came into the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office around 3:30 am of a legit house blocking all of Berard Road. It's a narrow road that doesn't even span a half-mile, but a post on Facebook from the sheriff's office says the illegal move, which also went down a much longer nearby road, caused notable damage and knocked out power to hundreds.
The single-story house was found abandoned along with the truck and trailer hauling it, but apparently, it wasn't a mystery to police. According to The State, investigators immediately had a person of interest due to prior dealings with the homeowner, identified as 46-year-old Tony Domingue. One doesn't simply up and move a house; local authorities had warned Domingue that permits were needed for the operation. He apparently ignored those warnings, and as a result, the midnight move damaged or destroyed many mailboxes, trees, and road signs. The house also took out utility lines, which reportedly cut power to 625 customers.
As for why the house and truck were just abandoned in the street, it's unclear. Perhaps the shock (no pun intended) of arcing power lines cascading down caused him to rethink the situation, or maybe it was just time for bed. In any case, authorities tracked down Domingue and arrested him along with 32-year-old Nico Comeaux, because hey, moving a house isn't a one-man job.
They aren't getting a slap on the wrist either. Both are charged with criminal damage to property, obstruction of highway commerce, and violation of the Parish ordinance, with bail set at a hefty $125,000.
