Pine Prairie Detective Josh Estes arrested Travis Elliott outside of Tom’s Fried Chicken Wednesday for domestic abuse, battery. (Gazette photo by Elizabeth West)
By: ELIZABETH WEST
Associate Editor
On July 20, 2016 Pine Prairie Detective Joshua Estes responded to a call involving a man beating a woman and then dragging her into a green minivan and driving away.
According to a Pine Prairie Police Department press release, when Estes arrived on the scene, he was informed by the individual that reported the incident that “the women walked across the yard and was crouching near a tree when the van drove by.”
The release went on to state that “after the van drove by, the woman started walking down Oak St.”
The driver of the van, who has been identified as Travis Elliott, then turned the van around and began driving “recklessly down Oak St.” When he reached the victim, who has been identified as Abby Clark, Elliott “jumped out and began beating the woman and then drug her into the van and drove away.”
The Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police began searching for the van, which was found by EPSO Detective Caleb Stelly at Tom’s Fried Chicken in Bayou Chicot.
Clark told the detectives that her and Elliott “had just had an argument and that was all.” Elliott told the detectives the same thing.
There were five children in the van that confirmed that Clark and Elliott were arguing. When asked if Elliott had hit their mom, one child said that “Mr. Travis hit his mom and all of the children said that Mr. Travis pushed their mom in the van.”
Elliott was arrested for domestic abuse battery and careless operation.