PONCHATOULA – The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Department is looking for a man they believe killed an 89-year-old woman, set fire to her house, and stole her car.
Officers found the body of Dorothy Poche inside of her home on School Section Road in Ponchatoula around 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, April 10, according to Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards.
Neighbors reported hearing a loud boom coming from the direction of Poche’s home, saw lights from a vehicle fleeing down a nearby road, and saw flames beginning to spread throughout the building.
By the time TPSO officers arrived, the home was already engulfed in flames, according to Edwards.
An investigation revealed that an accelerant had been used to fuel the fire.
Poche’s body was found inside the home. Her green Mercury Marquis was missing from the driveway, but was found a short time later abandoned in Bogalusa, Edwards said.
Officers have identified 26-year-old Timothy Rouchon of Abbeville as a person of interest.
Anyone who knows Rouchon’s whereabouts is asked to immediately contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 554-5245.