Details on Norris robbery
Details on Norris robbery: Bond totaling $617,500 has been set for Gary Lindsey in the armed robbery 3/31/07 of Bill Norris at his home in the 1000 block of St. Philip Street. (Normally, we don't use the name of a victim unless it is general knowledge or the victim or family identifies him. Bill was identified as the victim by his son, Will.)
Lindsey, 38, whose last known address is 2925 St. Ann St., is charged with 15 offenses ranging from armed robbery with a firearm to assault and battery to numerous purse snatchings. A "show cause" hearing to determine if there's enough evidence to try him will be held 6/1/07 at 9 a.m. in Magistrate Court Section M1.
Will Norris and a neighbor identified as William Sullivan are credited for the apprehension of the alleged perpetrator who is suspected in as many as 20 similar robberies in the last two weeks. (Wouldn't it be nice if Crimestoppers awarded one of its $5,000 rewards retroactively to Sullivan for being instrumental in putting an end to this crime spree.)
Unlike the Times-Picayune's bungled story, here's what happened, according to the NOPD report:
"The son of the victim chased after the perpetrator and observed him getting into a black Mitsubishi Eclipse, 2 door, with a temp tag (which was parked at the intersection of St. Philip and Burgundy streets). The son flagged down a citizen and asked him to follow the vehicle. The Good Samaritan followed the perpetrator and called 911. He advised the dispatcher that he was behind the vehicle and gave each location
until NOPD units could flood the area.
"NOPD units followed the vehicle and attempted to stop the driver near the Lowe's on Elysian Fields. The driver refused to stop and led officers on a brief chase. The driver jumped out of the vehicle while it was still running in the area of Benefit and Touro streets. Officer Desmond Pratt and his partner Miquel Aubert chased the perpetrator on foot and apprehended him as he attempted to escape over a fence."
And all because two citizens chose to get involved.
What you can do: Once again, bold efforts by citizens led to the arrest of a perpetrator in a horrendous French Quarter crime. Similarly, the accurate description given by the Hubers after they were viciously mugged a month earlier aided in the apprehension of a suspect in their case and another case.
Bill's wife, Betty, who along with Bill were also victims of an armed robbery in January, points out that in both cases the perpetrators' cars were illegally parked close to an intersections and both cars had temporary paper tags. That highlights the need to be alert for things that are out of place, to be suspicious of unusual situations. Not every illegally parked car nor every car with temporary tags harbors thugs, but watch for them and if they look out of place in your neighborhood, call the police at 821-2222.
Unlike regular license plates with their easy-to-remember combination of 3 letters and 3 digits, these paper tags with 10 (?) digits and usually pasted in a rear tinted window are almost impossible to read or remember--a helpful disguise for a car being used in a crime. The police might do well to check cars with temporary tags, usually used on a car when it is sold. They'd have probable cause to stop them based on the number of cars with temporary tags used in recent robberies. And it's a rare used car that doesn't have some mechanical defect that has yet to be repaired, which would also give the police probable cause. Never know what or who they might find in that car.
Heard gunshots?: Reports of gunfire around 10 p.m. on 3/28/07 near Burgundy and Esplanade followed by 10 or so police cars swarming the area had neighbors alarmed. Turns out, according to 8th District Capt. Edwin Hosli, the commotion was all for the sake of a movie being filmed in the area. In a neighborhood already jittery from such things, it would be nice if the NOPD would alert residents to phony film incidents that shouldn't trigger alarm.
(Speaking of which, doesn't it strike you as curious that the head of the Homicide Division would be out protecting Brad Pitt's pitutti while he's making a movie, when in the meanwhile the murderer of Helen Hill is still running loose? Hopefully things will get better--he's since been replaced by Capt. Kevin Anderson, former commander of the 8th District.)
Scooters stuck: The 8th District has trained 8 more officers to patrol on scooters, but efforts to get more of them rolling is hampered by budget constraints. Perhaps there's a group (like NOLAAgainstCrime or Cops8 which have raised funds in the past to aid the 8th District) which could take the lead and help Capt. Hosli get the additional dollars he needs to put more scooters out on the streets of the Quarter and Marigny. You can call him at 658-6080.
Dog park alert: Following complaints that "gutter punks" hanging out in Cabrini Park were sleeping there, destroying property, and intimidating residents, Capt. Hosli says, "I will notify the platoons to increase the patrols in the park."
Let's hear from you: More often than not, the information we've used here has come from residents of the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle when they've noticed crimes or situations that threaten the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Let us know what you observe--it may help prevent a crime or remedy a bad situation.
As always, your comments and suggests are welcome.
Thom Kahler
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