Two men, one a now-terminated city employee, were arrested last week for allegedly stealing an $800 generator.

According to Eunice Police, officers began an investigation following a report from a Juanita Street residence regarding the stolen generator.

The investigation yielded a vehicle description and two suspects, police said.

The suspects were then located and questioned separately. Police said each suspect implicated the other and each admitted their part in the theft, providing police with additional details regarding the incident.

Police said detectives are still trying to locate the generator, which has been passed around and sold to several different people, who are cooperating with police.

Dustin Thompson, 20, and Matthew Ware, 19, were each charged with felony theft. In addition, a hold was placed on each man by the Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole.

Thompson has prior arrests for burglary, possession of stolen firearms and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to Eunice Police. He was released from incarceration Sept. 9, 2011 and placed on parole until Dec. 29, 2014 for one conviction, and is also on probation for another incident, which began April 5 and ends in 2015.

Ware also has a list of prior arrests. He was charged with aggravated assault in Feb. 2011 for allegedly fighting with another man using samurai swords.

In April 2011, Ware was arrested during a drug roundup and charged with three counts distribution of marijuana and two counts of violation of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law (drug free zone) by the St. Landry Sheriff’s Office.

In March, Ware was charged with a number of traffic violations after allegedly drag racing at speeds of up to 78 miles per hour in the city in a 35 mph zone.

Ware had been employed with the City Gas Department for approximately two months, spraying for weeds along city streets, said Eunice Mayor Claud “Rusty” Moody.

Moody said Ware’s employment was terminated last week following his arrest.

Moody said a background check with the Eunice Police Department turned up only the traffic violations, which were all misdemeanors, which according to City Ordinance Section 2:73(a)(6) do not disqualify an individual from employment with the city, unless they involve “a violation of trust or moral turpitude”.

Moody said the city is working with the sheriff’s office to establish background checks with them as well.

Section 2:73(d) states: “Prior to the hiring or firing of any non-civil-service employee of the city, the mayor shall first present to the board of aldermen the name of the employee to be either hired or fired, the positions involved, the rate of compensation that the employee is to be paid at the time or hire or is then being paid in the case of a proposed termination.”

Moody said that neither he, nor to his knowledge, the prior two administrations, have presented proposed hirings or firings to the city council.