Man Arrested for Riding Lawn Mower Trespass in Louisiana Ends Up Being Utah Fugitive
A man accused of riding a lawnmower on someone's else land in Louisiana turned out to be a fugitive from Utah who lived here for more than a decade, getting by without an ID and working for cash.
Lafourche Parish deputies stopped 49-year-old Richard Schleininger in Bayou Blue after seeing him ride his mower past several "no trespassing" signs. Authorities had recently received complaints about trespassers.
Schleininger told police that he had been living in Bayou Blue for about 11 years.
"This man was hiding in plain sight," Sheriff Craig Webre said. "Other than an animal complaint he made in 2014, we had no other interaction with him until his arrest. He also only worked odd jobs for cash, and by avoiding traditional employment, he was never forced to verify his identity."
Schleininger carried no ID and gave a false name when he was arrested on January 8 but fingerprints identified him. He was wanted in Bountiful, Utah, on aggravated assault and felony theft charges from 2003 and 2004.
He was released from jail January 9 on $1,000 bond but was taken back into custody on January 23 after Utah authorities notified the sheriff's office in Louisiana that they plan to extradite him.