Warrants Issued in Roganville Church Burglary; One Suspect a Wanted Fugitive

Photo Courtesy of JCSO

Investigators with the Jasper County Sheriff's Office have obtained arrest warrants for two individuals in connection to a burglary that occurred at a Roganville church on June 19, 2025.

According to Sheriff Chuck Havard, JCSO Criminal Investigations Division Sergeant Calvin Starkie secured warrants on June 26 for two suspects accused of unlawfully entering three separate buildings on church property. Authorities say the suspects caused significant property damage and stole various items, some of which have since been recovered.

Both individuals face three counts of Burglary of a Building, a State Jail Felony.

One of the suspects has been identified as Gavyn R. Deaton, 20, of Lufkin, who currently remains at large. Investigators report that Deaton has refused to cooperate and is now considered a wanted fugitive. In addition to the Jasper County warrants, Deaton is also wanted on a felony burglary warrant out of Angelina County.

The second suspect is a 16-year-old male from Jasper County. Due to his age, his identity and photo have not been released. Authorities anticipate that he will turn himself in to Jasper County Juvenile Probation within the next 24 hours.

“It’s bad enough to break into any building, but to break into a church is absolutely despicable,” said Sheriff Havard. “I can assure the people of Jasper County that this individual will be located and brought to the Jasper County Jail as soon as possible.”

Sheriff Havard also extended his gratitude to Investigator Calvin Starkie for his dedication to the case and to Kirbyville Police Officer Scotty Duncan for providing key information that led to the suspects’ identification.

“We value teamwork and our law enforcement partners,” Havard said.

Authorities are urging the public to share the suspect's photo and contact law enforcement with any information regarding Gavyn Deaton’s whereabouts.