Suspect, 73, accused of trying to buy a 10-month-old girl at an auction in Louisiana

Howell Gene Penton was arrested November 29 after a police investigation into the incident

A 73-year-old man has been arrested in Louisiana after attempting to buy a 10-month old girl at a local auction.

Howell Gene Penton was arrested in Angie on November 29 after a police investigation into the incident, which reportedly occurred several days before.

Detectives from the Washington Parish Sheriff Office’s special investigations unit, along with Angie Police Department began an investigation involving the sale of a minor child on November 26.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Penton allegedly solicited a woman at the Angie Auction House to purchase her infant daughter.

Howell Gene Penton, 73, has been arrested in Louisiana after attempting to buy a 10-month old girl at a local auction (Washington Parish Sheriff's Office)

Following an undercover operation, law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for Penton and he was taken into custody without incident.

Additional details about the circumstances that led to Penton approaching the woman were not immediately available.

The investigation is ongoing and the owners of the Angie Auction House are in full cooperation with the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

The Independent has contacted the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office for more information about the case.