Authorities say a shocking incident at a rural auction house ended in an arrest after a Mississippi man allegedly tried to purchase a 10-month-old infant from her mother.
Howell Gene Penton, 73, of Picayune, Mississippi, is in custody at the Washington Parish Jail, facing a felony charge of sale of minor children following a joint investigation by local law enforcement.
The incident occurred in Angie, Louisiana, about 85 miles north of New Orleans. Investigators say Penton approached a woman at the Angie Auction House and asked to buy her baby girl.
Authorities began investigating on November 26, and three days later coordinated an undercover sting operation with the Angie Police Department, which led to Penton’s arrest without incident.
Penton was booked into the Franklinton jail and is being held on $200,000 bond. Court records do not indicate whether he has retained legal counsel or entered a plea.