A man, woman and juvenile were arrested for illegal possession of guns on Friday, May 19, 2023 during a pre-kindergarten graduation at Garyville-Mt. Airy Magnet School. Arrested were Nick Malancon, 24, of Reserve; Jaquanna Monique Cage, 25, of LaPlace; and the 16-year-old male juvenile from Reserve.
Sheriff Mike Tregre said he is grateful for a tip informing the SJSO that there were armed individuals on school property during Garyville-Mt. Airy Magnet’s pre-kindergarten graduation.
“The individual who called us made the right choice … to report this information to us,” Sheriff Tregre said. “This person who intervened and our quick response contributed to a positive outcome — the arrests of these three people,” Sheriff Tregre said.
Upon receiving this tip, investigators immediately proceeded to the school where deputies observed two suspects, identified as Malancon and the juvenile, in a vehicle outside the school, based on the information provided to the SJSO. The school was then placed on lockdown.
As officers approached Malancon and the juvenile, they exited the vehicle and fled on foot in separate directions on the school property. Subsequently, the juvenile and Malancon were apprehended.
Performing a security sweep of the vehicle Malancon and the juvenile were in, officers recovered an AK47 with a loaded magazine in plain view on the passenger floorboard. Officers then located a 20 round box of live ammunition on the juvenile’s person. Officers also discovered the juvenile was wearing an ankle monitor and was on house arrest for illegal drugs and weapons charges in St. Charles Parish.
Through further investigation, officers recovered a handgun that had been converted to fully automatic, discarded by the juvenile, underneath another suspect vehicle. Officers also observed in plain view a handgun on the driver’s floorboard in the second suspect vehicle. The female, later identified as Cage, was found to be in possession of the vehicle where the third handgun was discovered.
Through surveillance video, officers observed that Malancon, Cage and the juvenile were together on the school campus during the event.
Malancon was booked with carrying a firearm or dangerous weapon by a student or nonstudent on school property, at school-sponsored functions, or in a firearm-free zone (felony). He is being held in custody in lieu of $250,000 bond.
Cage was booked with carrying a firearm or dangerous weapon by a student or nonstudent on school property, at school-sponsored functions, or in a firearm-free zone (felony). She also was wanted on judicial warrant for simple criminal damage to property under $1000 (misd). She is being held in custody in lieu of a $251,000 bond.
The juvenile was charged with resisting an officer, illegal possession of handgun by a juvenile (felony), and carrying a firearm or dangerous weapon by a student or nonstudent on school property, at school-sponsored functions, or in a firearm-free zone (felony). He is being held in custody at the Sherman Walker Correctional facility.