Dollar General employees lock accused killer inside the store, Louisiana cops say

Two women working at a Dollar General store thought a customer who entered the Ragley, Louisiana, store on Thursday looked familiar, police say.

Then they recognized him as the target of an overnight manhunt in the slaying Wednesday of two teenagers, The American Press reported. After quietly escorting other customers out, the two women locked the man inside until sheriff’s deputies arrived.

“I commend them for being brave enough and strong enough...but we were so close we were there in seconds to apprehend him,” said Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso, KPLC reported.

Neil P. Broussard, 51, surrendered to deputies without incident, according to the station.

Broussard faces charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and second-degree kidnapping, The American Press reported.

He’s accused of killing a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, and shooting a 40-year-old woman in a Westlake, Louisiana, home on Wednesday, KPLC reported. He also is accused of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl, who was found later Wednesday near Ragley.

More than 75 deputies, along with Louisiana State Police and FBI agents, searched for Broussard, The American Press reported.

Sheriff Mark Herford of Beauregard Parish thanked the two Dollar General employees on Facebook for their “bravery, instinctive thinking, and selflessness to themselves and to their community.”

Broussard’s bail has been set at $4 million, according to the Associated Press. He’s a previously convicted sex offender.

His wife, Tori L. Broussard, 41, of Lake Charles, faces charges including accessory after the fact to first-degree rape and accessory after the fact to molestation of a juvenile, the Associated Press reported.

This story was originally published July 19, 2020 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Dollar General employees lock accused killer inside the store, Louisiana cops say."