In the early morning hours of July 15, 2020, the life of 18-year-old Kaleb T. Charlton was tragically cut short in a violent intrusion at a home in Westlake, Louisiana. A male, Kaleb was at the residence on Duraso Drive with his girlfriend, 17-year-old Kyla Hidalgo, and her family when the unthinkable occurred. The Hidalgo home became a scene of terror when Neil P. Broussard, a convicted sex offender, forced his way inside.
The events that followed were precipitated by a 911 call made by Kyla's mother, Catherine Hidalgo, at 3:47 a.m., in which she reported that her daughter had been sexually assaulted by Broussard and that he was now inside their home. Her pleas for him not to harm her children were captured on the emergency call.
Responding deputies from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office arrived within ten minutes to a horrific discovery. Inside the home, they found Kaleb Charlton, Kyla Hidalgo, and Catherine Hidalgo, all suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Kaleb and Kyla were pronounced dead at the scene. Catherine Hidalgo was critically injured but survived and was transported to a local hospital for emergency surgery. In the chaos, it was discovered that Catherine's 14-year-old daughter had been abducted from the home. She was found alive several hours later in Beauregard Parish after Broussard released her in a wooded area. The family's car, which Broussard had used to flee with the teenager, was later found abandoned.
The manhunt for Neil Broussard, who had a history of child molestation convictions and an active warrant for first-degree rape and molestation of a juvenile, ended the next day. He was apprehended at a Dollar General store in Ragley after two alert employees recognized him, locked him inside, and called the police. Broussard surrendered to authorities without incident. The investigation also led to the arrest of his wife, Tori Lynette Broussard.
Both Neil and Tori Broussard were subsequently indicted on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Kaleb Charlton and Kyla Hidalgo. Neil Broussard faced additional charges of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Tori Broussard was also charged with first-degree murder, with the sheriff stating that she was just as guilty in the participation of the brutal act, even though she did not pull the trigger. The legal proceedings against the Broussards have been ongoing, with court rulings on the admissibility of evidence, including statements made by Tori Broussard to law enforcement.
