The LeBeau Plantation in Louisiana was burned down and officials arrested seven in connection with the case. The LeBeau Plantation has long been the subject of ghost stories in the area.
ARABI, La. (AP) — Seven people have been arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed theLeBeau Plantation house in St. Bernard Parish.
Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann said the suspects are believed to have been smoking marijuana and drinking in the vacant house when the fire broke out around 2 a.m. Friday. The building was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
One suspect is from Arabi, the others are from Texas. Their identities and specific charges had not been released Friday afternoon.
St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Col. John Duran said the men — between the ages of 17 and 31 — were apparently looking for ghosts at the mansion, which has long been the subject of ghost stories in St. Bernard.
“It’s unbelievable to see such a beautiful building like that destroyed by a fire,” St. Bernard Fire Department Chief Thomas Stone told WWL-TV. ”It’s kind of a fire chief’s worst nightmare to have a historical structure destroyed by fire.”
The fire spread quickly throughout the vacant building, and the building has no electricity, prompting suspicions that it was started by people on purpose.
A second structure next the the plantation that is also vacant also caught fire.
All that is left of the plantation is four chimney stacks.
The plantation was built in 1851 and was used as a plantation for many years. It was later used as a hotel but it was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina and has been vacant for several years.
