GONZALES - The sheriff in Ascension Parish said a teenager stabbed to death Saturday was attacked with a steak knife.

"This is pretty damn horrible," Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeff Wiley said in a news conference Tuesday where he released additional details about the death of Todd Toups. Toups, 18, was killed as he visited a girl he was taking to the homecoming dance Saturday evening. The murder happened at Cobb's Trailer Park on Roddy Road. A 16-year-old was arrested in connection with the murder.

Tuesday, Sheriff Wiley referred to the teen as a "killer" and said authorities were working to have him transferred from juvenile jail to the adult detention facility. Until then, the 16-year-old suspect's name will not be released. There is a hearing related to the matter Wednesday morning, Wiley said.

"We have so many disconnected kids now in this area, in this parish, in America... in the world. They glorify rebellion, glorify hate. They exhibit behavior that is inconsistent with any normal context," the sheriff said.

Wiley connected the dots in a story he admitted was very confusing. Wiley said Toups already planned to meet a girl at the St. Amant High School homecoming dance but was also taking another girl whom he'd just recently met. Wiley said Toups was being a gentlemen, taking the girl to the dance for good will. He described the pair as friends.

Wiley said Toups stopped at the trailer park Saturday afternoon before the dance to check on the girl he was going to take with him. It was while he was there, he was attacked by the boyfriend of his date's step-sister. Wiley said earlier in the week, the step-sister made a remark that if Toups hurt the girl, she would stab him. Wiley believes Toups may have joked about the comment while at the trailer Saturday, and was then approached by the boyfriend. The boyfriend made very close stabbing gestures toward Toups with a knife from the kitchen. Toups, in an attempt to defend himself, pushed or knocked down the boyfriend and was stabbed in the process, Wiley said.

Toups died at a hospital.

The unidentified suspect attended St. Amant High previously but most recently attended Woodlawn High School in Baton Rouge. Toups was a senior at St. Amant High School.

"He wanted to be a history teacher, because history was his passion and because he wanted to work with young teens who may have problems, family issues," Toups' mother, Suzette, said in an interview with WBRZ Monday.

The sheriff was visibly frustrated in having to discuss teen-on-teen violence in Ascension Parish. Watch more of his Tuesday news conference on later editions of WBRZ News 2 Tuesday. Live coverage begins at 4 p.m.

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