Last week, Samuel Lane of 1909 N Airline Hwy Gonzales, LA, age 42, pled guilty as charged to Home Invasion, Attempted First Degree Rape, and Attempted First Degree Robbery. Lane was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Lana Chaney and Adam Koenig. Presiding over this matter is the Honorable Judge Steven Tureau. 

          On April 14, 2024, detectives with the Gonzales Police Department responded to a reported home invasion of an area apartment complex. Upon making contact with a female victim, detectives learned that an unknown male subject had approached the door of the victim’s apartment and began pounding on the door. The victim answered the door and made contact with the unknown male subject who advised that he was having issues with his vehicle. At some point, the victim became uncomfortable and asked the male subject to leave. At that time, the male subject lunged into the doorway of the residence in the immediate direction of the victim. While attempting to create distance, the victim ran to a neighboring apartment. The male subject attempted to grab the victim by her throat which caused her to scream. At this point, the male subject fled the area on foot. Detectives were able to obtain video surveillance footage which captured portions of the encounter. 

          On June 25, 2024, detectives learned that officers had responded to a Gonzales residence in reference to an unknown male subject knocking on doors in the neighborhood and asking questions about a football camp for children. Following this incident, detectives were able to obtain camera footage of the unknown male subject. Detectives were able to link the male subject from this incident to the April home invasion. Detectives were able to identify the unknown male subject as Samuel Lane. 

          On June 28, 2024, while still investigating the April and June 25^th incidents, Gonzales Police Officers responded to a business along Hwy 44 in reference to an attempted rape and robbery. Detectives were notified and during an interview of the victim learned that she was arriving for work when she was approached by an unknown male subject. The male subject demanded the victim give him her money and advised that he was armed with a firearm. The victim complied. The unknown male began beating the victim before dragging her behind a building where he attempted to rape her. Another business employee arrived, and the male subject fled the area. Detectives were able to obtain video surveillance footage of the suspect while fleeing the area. Detectives were ultimately able to secure a search warrant for Samuel Lane’s residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Lane appeared at the residence with clothing and a medical style face mask identical to that of the suspect fleeing the scene. 

          Detectives were able to identify Samuel Lane as the unknown male subject in all three incidents. Lane was arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail where he remains incarcerated. 

          Upon entering a guilty plea to the above-mentioned charges, sentencing was deferred to a later date pending a Pre-Sentence Investigation. Sentencing is tentatively set for August 17, 2026. Samuel Lane faces decades in state prison.