Danny L. Slaughter, 52 of Natchitoches, who reportedly has a documented history of mental issues and a lengthy criminal history—boarded a City of Alexandria ATRANS transit van on Oct. 13 around 1:10 pm. Earlier that day, Slaughter had been turned away from a local hospital.

At the time, the van was occupied by a city employee operating the vehicle and two passengers. During the ride, Slaughter reportedly threatened the occupants and forced the driver to drive the van to Monroe, against their collective will. ATRANS notified Alexandria Police Department, which worked with other agencies to locate the transit van.

Upon arriving in Monroe, the city employee and one of the passengers were able to safely exit the vehicle. A short distance later, Monroe Police Department officers located and stopped the van—where the second passenger was still inside—and detained the suspect.

All three victims—the city employee and both passengers—are safe and sustained no injuries. They are being transported back to Alexandria.

The Alexandria Police Department is working in coordination with the Monroe Police Department as the investigation into the incident continues. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

If anyone has any information about this incident or any other type of crime in the Alexandria area, please contact the Alexandria Police Detective Division at the phone number (318) 441-6416, or APD Dispatch (318) 441-6559. You may also email information to detectives at: APDDetectives@cityofalex.com.

For a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers of CenLa at (318) 443-7867. The Crime Stoppers P3 Tipster App can also be downloaded to leave tips and get a claim number for a cash reward at www.p3tips.com/community/mobile.

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