Residents near the Bastille district reported a figure tending a pit fire from before sunrise into the afternoon. The person turned and basted an unidentified carcass on a hand-dug spit. Smoke and char drifted through nearby streets for hours.

A voice called from inside a nearby structure. The figure replied that the meat was not yet ready. Sheriff's Office patrols logged the location during a sweep tied to the Syndicate arc. Investigators link unexplained fires near the bayou fringe to recent disappearances.

A department spokesperson said: 'Curiosity about what your neighbors are cooking is one thing. Asking questions about fires you did not light is another matter entirely.'