Woman Disarms Sex Offender in Laundromat, Kills Him with His Own Weapon in Show of 'Courage and Strength': Sheriff

A Louisiana woman is recovering after authorities say she killed a sex offender who allegedly tried to assault her at a laundromat.

Around 3:30 p.m. on March 3, deputies responded to a laundromat in Lacombe regarding a report of an unresponsive man with a stab wound, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Once at the laundromat, officers located the victim, 40-year-old Nicholas Tranchant, and he was transported to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

While police were on the way to the scene, a report came into the sheriff’s office from a woman “claiming she had stabbed a man who had attacked her while she was at the laundromat.”

Investigators claim Tranchant, a convicted sex offender, went into the laundromat with a sharp weapon and tried to sexually assault the woman.

However, she reportedly disarmed Tranchant and stabbed him with his own weapon before safely escaping the business.

Authorities said the woman also suffered injuries from the incident, and she was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Tranchant was convicted in 2003 for indecent behavior with juveniles and served time in jail. In May 2008, he was also convicted for attempted aggravated rape and aggravated burglary. In December 2023, Tranchant was released from jail and had to register as a sex offender.

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In a statement, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said, "I want to compliment this brave woman on the courage and strength she showed in fighting back against her attacker and ask for prayers for her continued recovery."