First Watch: Preschool Teacher Joins Police Pursuit & a Friend Turned Captor

A routine shopping trip in Louisiana turned into an unexpected chase when preschool teacher Lesli Smith spotted an officer running after two suspected shoplifters and offered him a seat in her SUV. What unfolded was a slow, careful pursuit through local streets. By that evening, she was back to her errands unaware her quick instinct would earn her a city commendation. In Texas, another call for help revealed a far darker scene. Officers responding to screams behind a fenced yard found a woman chained to a metal stand, injured and barely clothed, in the backyard of the friends she’d lived with for years. Now, five adults are in custody and investigators are piecing together how months of cruelty went unseen and unheard. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Crime House Daily to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Crime House Daily is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge? Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crime House Daily, Killer Minds, Murder True Crime Stories and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse | @crimehouse247 TikTok: @Crimehouse | @crimehouse247 Facebook: @crimehousestudios X: @crimehousemedia YouTube: @crimehousedaily Crime House Daily is hosted by Katie Ring Instagram: @the.self.defense.girl TikTok: @the.self.defense.girl Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/CRIMEHOUSE. Promo Code CRIMEHOUSE