Marcus Arceneaux carries his wounded niece, Bethany Arceneaux
A Louisiana family decided to take justice into their own hands on Friday — and it was all captured on camera.
Marcus Arceneaux cradled his frightened niece, Bethany Arceneaux, in his arms as he tenderly placed her in a car. Blood ran down Bethany’s face and she held a cloth to her neck to stem the flow. But she was home. She was safe. And her family had reportedly killed her torturer.
Bethany’s ordeal began on Wednesday evening when her ex-boyfriend, Scott Thomas, took her hostage. The 29-year-old from Duson was the mother of his child and allegedly a victim of years of domestic abuse at his hands.
Scott Thomas
Thomas, also 29, allegedly grabbed Bethany while she was near a day care center. He shoved the woman into his car, leaving his 2-year-old child abandoned inside Bethany’s vehicle.
Thomas then drove Bethany to an abandoned home in an isolated area of the town. But what he didn’t count on was Bethany’s family fighting back. The Arceneauxs launched a search for the woman. They were passing near Thomas’ hiding spot when they heard a woman yell from inside.
When the family members entered the home, Thomas allegedly began stabbing his ex-lover .Lafayette Parish police are still investigating what happened next. According to KLFY, the family members say they shot Thomas to prevent him from killing Bethany.
“A SWAT team was sent into the home,” police spokesperson Capt. Kip Judice told KPEL, “and upon entry into the home, we found him dead.”
Bethany’s brothers, Ryan Arceneaux and Kaylyn Alfred, told The Advertiser that they were part of the woman’s rescue team.
"We went and got her in that house. We kicked doors down. It was like a movie unfolding,” Ryan said. “If we wouldn't have done what we did, she would have been dead."
Bethany was taken to Lafayette General Medical Center and is now in stable condition.
“I’m so happy. God is good,” Monica Arceneaux-Henry, Bethany’s aunt, said. “We followed our faith and believed she was alive. God answers prayers.”
