Grand jury hands up indictments in slayings, child rape case

A Lafayette Parish grand jury handed up multiple indictments this week.

Warner Joseph Balfa, 59, of Lafayette, was indicted on five counts of child sex abuse in connection with incidents that happened in 1991 involving children under the age of 13. The indictment accuses him of three counts first-degree rape on a child younger than 13, and two counts of indecent behavior with a child younger than 13.

Ronnie Paul SImon, 44, of Lafayette was indicted on one count second-degree murder and one count aggravated assault with a firearm in connection with the April 2024 slaying of April C. Rollins and the assault of another woman.

Rollins, a mother of three, was shot to death at a home in Broussard. To read our story about her, click here .

Leonce Boutte IV, 27, was indicted on one count second-degree murder and three counts attempted first-degree murder in connection with a May 2024 incident that left a 70-year-old man dead.

At the time, police told us that Boutte was in an incident on Macklyn Street involving three other people, and fired a gun. The bullet hit Stanfford David Mouton, 70, who was inside his own house, and killed him, police said.