On Saturday at approximately 12:30 pm, a parent, who went to pay for her gas at Valero gas station in Abbeville, located at the corner of the La. 14 Bypass and State Street (across from Burger King), had their truck stolen with three children inside, that ended in an accident, the three children being injured and one man getting arrested.

The Abbeville Police say it all started with a domestic violence call in the 800 block of North East Street in Abbeville.

Terrance Mouton was accused of several acts of domestic battery on his wife. When police arrived, they say Mouton fled on foot to the Valero Gas Station after resisting officers.

When he arrived, he jumped into a GMC Sierra truck that had three small children inside of it. The driver of the truck walked inside of Valero to pay for gasoline during a downpour and came outside and noticed their vehicle was missing.

Abbeville Patrolman Bill Spearman was at McDonald’s, across the street from Valero, listening to the police radio during the scramble with Mouton. He spotted Mouton running across a field and allegedly saw him get into the GMC, take off and run the red light at the intersection. Spearman was unable to chase Mouton because he got blocked in at Valero.

Seconds after Mouton fled, Sgt. Jonathan Touchet arrived at Valero. He took off in his patrol car in the direction Mouton was traveling (west down the bypass). Sgt. Touchet got to the intersection of Hwy. 167 and the bypass and was unable to locate the vehicle Mouton was in. Sgt. Touchet had a choice - go straight, take a left or take a right on Hwy. 167. He went right on Hwy. 167 towards Maurice. About a mile down the road, he arrived on the scene of a single car accident.

Sgt. Touchet saw that the GMC truck had gone off the road for unknown reasons, slammed into a tree and bounced back onto the shoulder of Hwy. 167. Sgt. Touchet got down and began hustling to the wrecked vehicle, when from the corner of his eye, he saw what looked like the suspect in another vehicle on the shoulder of Hwy. 167.

Apparently, Mouton escaped serious injuries, got out of the wrecked vehicle, walked up to the vehicle that had stopped to help. He got into the second SUV and was trying to persuade them to take him to Maurice, which is what Sgt. Touchet saw.

Sgt. Touchet pulled Mouton out of the car and handcuffed him. Mouton was taken to a hospital in Lafayette where he remains as of Monday morning. Abbeville police have an officer with Mouton until he is released.

The children, all under 12, had moderate injuries. One child is suffering from two broken legs.

Mouton is facing charges of domestic abuse battery by strangulation, 2nd degree kidnapping, aggravated assault, battery of a police officer, resisting an officer with force or violence, two counts of carjacking, three counts of aggravated kidnapping, red light violation, and reckless violation. He also had an outstanding warrant for domestic abuse battery by strangulation.