By Pat Culverhouse
A months-long, multi-agency investigation that wound its way through municipalities in Webster and Claiborne parishes has successfully ended with the arrest of a parish teenager on warrants including theft of firearms.
Charges filed against 18-year-old Cadence Seth Tims reportedly include four counts of theft of a firearm, three counts of burglary and three counts of criminal damage to property. He has also been charged with battery on a dating partner.
Tims reportedly turned himself in at Minden police headquarters Thursday morning. He had evaded arrest earlier this week in Claiborne Parish when he abandoned his vehicle, leaving a girlfriend behind.
Tims is currently being held at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center on nearly a dozen arrest warrants from Minden police, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office and Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, with bonds reportedly totaling more than $200,000.
Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver said investigators believe Tims is suspected in a number of other burglaries, and are continuing to look into his potential involvement.
McIver said the investigation began in December, 2024 when MPD Det. Matthew Hicks was assigned the case of stolen firearms from vehicles in Minden’s Pecan View neighborhood. Hicks reportedly followed up on a separate firearms theft case later in the month with similarities to those in Pecan View.
During his investigation, Hicks reportedly learned Webster Parish Sheriff’s Detective Spencer White was working on a firearm theft in Doyline. Recognizing similarities, the pair began looking into other firearm thefts in the area.
According to Hicks, the search soon spread to Claiborne Parish when a weapon stolen in Doyline was found in Homer. Claiborne Parish investigators then became involved, and the three agencies combined their efforts.
A major break in the case came when one of Tims’ girlfriends reportedly filed charges of abuse and, during interviews, allegedly claimed to have seen him in possession of one or more of the stolen weapons. Detectives also learned Tims had been seen on social media, displaying the weapons.
According to officers, the stolen weapons included semiautomatic rifles (one AK-47 assault rifle), shotguns and handguns. All were believed to have been stolen at night from vehicles and residences.
As investigators continued to follow the string of corroborating evidence and testimony across the parishes, they reportedly learned the stolen weapons had been quickly sold or traded at locations in Springhill and on Germantown Rd. To date, one weapon reportedly has been recovered.
“This is the result of hard work, and agencies cooperating and combining their assets to bring a case to a successful conclusion,” McIver said. “We are continuing this investigation and there could be an update on charges filed against this suspect. We may also make other arrests in connection with this case.”
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said detectives from his office and Minden have always worked well together.
“We have a great working relationship with the MPD and other agencies,” Parker said. “We’re always ready to assist, and we know they will respond if we ask for their assistance.”
McIver also had a message for individuals who may carry weapons in their vehicle.
“We would tell our people, please don’t leave firearms in your vehicles. In this case, some were forcibly entered through a smashed window so a locked door was not a deterrent,” he said. “In one theft, a console was destroyed to get a weapon that was in a magnetic holster.”
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.