Before 42-year-old Baton Rouge resident William Bouvay Jr. registered on local law enforcement’s radar for calling in Monday’s bomb threat, he had a long rap sheet of run-ins with the law including multiple accounts of domestic abuse, theft, improper telephone communication, violation of a protective order and attempted second-degree murder.
Bouvay has faced nine serious criminal charges since 2001 and has seen even more cases against him dismissed since.
His arrest records reveal that history repeats itself, at least in terms of Bouvay’s criminal activity. Bouvay’s bomb threat wasn’t the first time he made threats involving the University.
In 2004, an arrest warrant for charges of improper telephone communication was filed against Bouvay on June 8 of that year and he was arrested on July 21. Bouvay was sentenced to 60 days in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, but his jail time was suspended. Instead, he was sentenced to a six-month probation and had to enroll in anger management classes.
LSU Police Department spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde said Bouvay was arrested by LSUPD after he harassed an ex-girlfriend who worked at the University at the time. Lalonde said one witness claimed Bouvay threatened to come to campus and shoot at the time, but LSUPD was able to obtain warrants for his arrest before any action was taken.
In 2003, Bouvay was issued a temporary restraining order.
On March 27, 2008, a domestic violence case brought to the court was dismissed after the petitioner, Bouvay’s then-wife, failed to show up to court. On April 16 of that year, she, who divorced Bouvay on Oct. 6, 2009, filed similar charges with the court, but she again failed to appear before the judge, and the case was dismissed.
On Sept. 16, 2008, an affidavit of probable cause was filed, charging Bouvay with simple criminal damage to property, simple battery and simple robbery, among other charges.
On Nov. 26, 2008, a domestic case against Bouvay was again dismissed because his then-wife failed to appear.
An arrest warrant for attempted second degree murder was filed on Dec. 17, 2008 and an appearance bond was filed on April 20, 2009. The warrant states that on Nov. 26, 2008, Bouvay visited his wife at her home and pinned her to a bed, using his knees to keep her down. The warrant states Bouvay wrapped his hands around her neck and began strangling her, and she told Bouvay she couldn’t breathe. The strangling continued for several minutes, according to the warrant.
On Dec. 17, 2008, the court granted her an 18-month protective order.
On Feb. 20, 2009, felony charges of domestic abuse and battery were filed against Bouvay, and he pleaded guilty to the charges on May 16, 2011. He was sentenced to an 18-month supervised probation.
Among the conditions for the probation, Bouvay was required to attend two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per month and remain drug and alcohol free.
Yet another charge was brought against Bouvay on Oct. 6, 2009, when an arrest warrant was filed for violation of the protective order previously issued for his wife. An appearance bond was filed on Nov. 16 of that year. Misdemeanor charges were filed against Bouvay on Jan. 25, 2010, but the case was dismissed on May 16, 2011.