Lafayette Man Arrested After Fake Explosive Device Found in Saint Streets Neighborhood

LAFAYETTE, La. – A Lafayette man has been arrested following an incident that prompted evacuations and a law enforcement response in the Saint Streets neighborhood on Tuesday that many neighbors described as a scary situation.

According to the Lafayette Police Department, investigators arrested 43-year-old Michael Mayeux after executing a search warrant at his home on Ridgewood Drive. Mayeux has been booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on charges of manufacture and possession of a bomb and possession of a fake explosive device.

The investigation began earlier in the day when a work crew discovered a suspicious device in the backyard of a residence in the 200 block of Ridgewood Drive. Lafayette Police, along with the Lafayette Fire Department, Hazmat teams, and the Louisiana State Police Bomb Squad, responded to the scene. After securing the area and evacuating nearby homes, officials later determined the device to be a non-explosive fake.

However, during a subsequent search of Mayeux’s residence, investigators located a second suspicious package. The Louisiana State Police Bomb Squad determined that this second device was, in fact, an explosive.

Authorities have not yet released details regarding the nature of the devices or a possible motive. The investigation remains ongoing.

Residents who were temporarily evacuated have since been allowed to return home, and the area has been deemed safe.

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