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On Friday, Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy Randall Garcia responded to a complaint north of Franklinton of a male going house to house asking for water or a ride and attempting to enter one house before being rejected by the homeowner who called in the complaint, according to WPSO Chief Deputy Mike Haley.

Haley said that while in the vicinity of Old Columbia Road and Jenkins Road, Garcia encountered a man fitting the description he had been given. While being patted down for weapons, the man resisted and attempted to pull away from the deputy, Haley said. At this time he was restrained and placed in handcuffs. A search of the man’s pockets revealed a quantity of illegal drugs, Haley said.

Phillip Fowler, 51, a resident of Bateman Road, was arrested, transported to the Washington Parish Jail and booked on charges of attempted criminal trespass, resisting an officer with force or violence and possession of illegal drugs.

Haley said that Fowler has three previous stays in the Washington Parish Jail. In 2008, he was jailed for unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. He was jailed again in 2014 on two counts of failure to appear in court. He was arrested again in 2020 and charged with unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, resisting an officer and failure to appear in court.

“This is a good lesson for all of our residents,” Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal said. “Always lock your residence, whether you are inside or away from home, and never open the door to a stranger. Common sense dictates that we be on guard at all times for persons who might be engaging in criminal behavior.”