Shooting injures two - Police begin search for suspect

The Lafayette Daily Advertister ^ | 11/01/02 | Todd Billiot

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LAFAYETTE - Authorities were on a manhunt Thursday for Ben Broussard, a one-time French Foreign Legionnaire, who witnesses said shot and wounded a used-car dealer and a salesman on Ambassador Caffery Parkway near the intersection with Guilbeau Road.

Donald Mendoza was shot three times at 3:30 p.m. - twice in the front and once in the back - and Kevin Cormier was shot once in the leg inside the office of Don's Sport's & Imports car lot, said Lt. Craig Stansbury with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office.

Mendoza and Cormier were both expected to recover, Stansbury said.

Broussard, 22, also known by his adopted name of Ben Meaux, allegedly used a large-caliber handgun in the shooting, Stansbury said. He was seen leaving the car lot in a white, four-door Pontiac 6000 or an Oldsmobile. The car had a Texas license plate.

Authorities statewide and in Texas have been alerted to be on the lookout for the car, Stansbury said. Broussard is white, about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build and has short, spiky hair.

Broussard lived in France while he served in the French Foreign Legion, Stansbury said. He is considered dangerous.

Stansbury said Broussard entered the office at 3 p.m. and asked for his cousin, who is Mendoza's girlfriend. But he asked for her by a name she doesn't use anymore, and Mendoza said he did not know her, Stansbury said.

Thirty minutes later, Broussard came back and allegedly shot both men.

"Apparently, this guy was close to his cousin, and he was angry with Mendoza because he did not feel she was being treated well," Stansbury said.

Friends at the scene of the shooting identified Mendoza's girlfriend as Danielle Alleman, once known as Danielle Broussard.

If apprehended, Ben Broussard would be charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, Stansbury said.

Dolly Jordan, who was dropping off her children at their father's mobile home behind the car lot, said she called 911.

"Kevin came out yelling, 'Call 911,' that he had been shot," Jordan said. "He said the man went in there and was talking real frantic. He left, walked back in and shot both of them. ... They said he was asking for Danielle."

Chad Broussard, who said he works at a car lot on Cameron Street, confirmed that Danielle Alleman is Mendoza's girlfriend.