The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is seeking a person of interest in connection with the slaying of a U.S. Army soldier who was killed in the driveway of his in-laws’ home on January 1.

Homicide investigators have released a picture of the man they are looking for in connection with the incident.

U.S. Army Sergeant Joseph Anderson was shot and killed in the 6100 block of Ray Street in Marrero after dropping off his three children at his in-laws.
Anderson, who survived two tours of duty in the Middle East, was shot in the head and his car was stolen.

Crimestoppers also announced an increase in the reward leading to the arrest or conviction of the killer. The reward has increased from $2,500 to $8,000.

Authorities arrested a Marrero man accused of videotaping his rape of an 8-year-old girl and taking inappropriate photographs of other young girls. Detectives booked Dana Gaston, 38, with aggravated rape, having pornography involving juveniles and obstruction of justice, said Glen T. Boyd, spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives learned of the case when a woman contacted them in September after she discovered suspicious images on a portable data storage device belonging to Gaston. The pictures appeared to be the exposed buttocks of young girls between the ages of 7 and 12, Boyd said.

The drive also contained two video recordings of Gaston raping an 8-year-old girl, Boyd said.

Detectives said Gaston admitted to the sexual assault. He told investigators he destroyed a laptop computer that contained additional photos and videos, an arrest report said.

Gaston, of 7276 Rue Louis Phillipe, Marrero, was booked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on Thursday. He was still being held there Tuesday. Bond was set at $1.1 million.