A St. Martinville man is behind bars following a fatal weekend shooting.

St. Martin Parish Sheriff's spokeswoman Maj. Ginny Higgins said 30-year-old DeAnthony Francois was arrested Saturday for the second-degree murder of 19-year-old Dametri Romero, of New Iberia.

Investigators determined Francois shot Romero following an altercation in the vehicle near Freedom Lane in St. Martinville.

Higgins said witnesses reported seeing a vehicle parked near an oilfield business and hunting lease on Aubrey Ozenne Road in Broussard on Saturday afternoon around 5 p.m. Inside the vehicle, passers-by reported seeing a black male holding a firearm and a white male subject who appeared to have suffered an injury.

Unbeknownst to the agencies searching for the suspect vehicle, Francois was locked into the property by a hunter who locked the gate to the property before Francois could exit. He initially drove to that area to dispose of Romero's body. He was able to drive away when another hunter opened the gate.

Francois then disposed of the body on Francois Road where investigators recovered the corpse Sunday night.

Shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday night, deputies were notified that an officer with the St. Martinville Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle at the intersection of  West Madison and Lewis Streets in St. Martinville. Francois was taken into custody for questioning in reference to the events reported on Saturday afternoon.

Following his arrest, Francois was booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center. No bond had been set.

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