Crime update 11.27.07

Classic, indeed...

The bad guys focused mostly on the tourists in town for the Bayou Classic this past weekend, but there was just enough mayhem in the Lower Quarter and Marigny Triangle to spoil the weekend for residents.

Another boy bandit?: A boy, believed to be no more than 11 years old, was in a gang of 3 black boys who held up a 19-year-old white man at the corner of N. Rampart and St. Anthony streets on Sunday afternoon around 3 p.m. The 11-year-old stepped up to the victim, who lives nearby, and pointed a small black semi-automatic handgun at him and demanded his money. Thinking it was a joke, the victim kept walking until another boy in the gang, believed to be 16 or 17 years old, put a gun to his head and ordered the victim give his money to the kid. The victim gave them his wallet which had only a debit card but no cash in it and his password-protected iPhone.

Witnesses interviewed by a detective reported seeing the gang of 3 hanging out earlier at the corner of Esplanade Avenue and Bourbon Street and at Burgundy and Paugher streets before this robbery occurred. In both cases, the 3 boys were dressed alike: Black jackets, blue jeans, black baseball caps, and 2 of them holding blue bandannas with a white print in their hands.

During the robbery, 2 of the perpetrators had blue bandannas over their faces. The boy believed to be 11 years old was described as 4' tall, weighing 100 pounds. The older boy thought to be 16 to 17 years old was described as 5'8" tall. No description was given for the third perpetrator.

A citizen reported seeing someone stash a gun behind the burglary bars of an abandoned house at 2021 N. Rampart; the gun fit the description of the gun used in the crime. Detectives are hoping a video camera in the 1800 block of N. Rampart will show the perpetrators walking toward the victim when they are able to view the tape.

This 11-year-old doesn't fit the description of the boy who robbed a woman in the 1400 block of Dauphine Street one morning 3 weeks ago. That perpetrator was described as 5'3" tall, slim with a medium complexion, a short, tight afro haircut, and wore a light-colored, possibly white, T-shirt and jeans.

Later that day: At about 9:30 p.m., a 24-year-old Kenner woman was robbed in the 900 block of St. Philip Street. As she was walking down the street, a black man walking from the opposite direction told her to drop her purse and then pulled a small silver-plated semi-automatic handgun and grabbed the tote bag from her shoulder. The bag contained a payroll check and 3 small emeralds. The thief then told her to walk toward Dauphine Street as he turned and got into a gold-colored SUV that turned around and fled the wrong way on St. Philip.

The thief was described as 25 to 30 years old, 5'6" tall, weighting 170 pounds, wearing dark jeans, a yellow and green striped shirt, and a black knitted cap.

Earlier in the week: A presumably local woman of unknown age (thanks to a sloppily written police report) was robbed Friday of her purse further down St. Philip on Chartres Street by a man described similarly to the previous robber using a similar MO. The victim was walking on Chartres near St. Philip about 5:45 p.m. when a black man approached from the opposite direction and said, "B***h, give me your purse--this ain't no game!" She complied, and the robber fled to a white vehicle (sedan? SUV? pickup? Who knows?) which drove off up Chartres.

The victim and a witness gave the detective a license plate number which the investigator traced to a man with an extensive arrest record for drugs and property crimes. The detective compiled a photo lineup with the man's picture in it, but the victim and witness were unable to positively identify the perpetrator. The detective is trying to locate the registered owner of the car to interview him.

The robber was described as 25 to 35 years old, 5'9" tall, weighing 170 pounds, with a brown complexion, wearing a brown leather jacket.

Then again: Just 2 days later, a 58-year-old tourist from Kentucky was robbed of her purse about 4:45 p.m. Sunday at Howard and Carondolet streets by a similar perpetrator with a similar MO. She was approached by a black man who tried to grab her purse from her arm. She struggled with the thief, who knocked her to the ground to get her purse.

He fled in a white vehicle (again, what kind??), driven by a black female. The robber was described as 5'7" tall, weighing 140 pounds.

Don't mess with the brothers: Three local black men, all in their mid-20s, were walking in the 300 block of Julia Street at about 2:18 a.m. Saturday morning when they were confronted by several other black men. One stood lookout, while another, armed with a black semi-automatic handgun which he pointed at the head of one of the victims, demanded the trio give up their "chains" (I take that to mean gold, or bling-bling, or whatever it's called in the 'hood these days). The victims complied and the perpetrators fled.

One of the victims chased the lookout dude to the 700 block of Tchoupitoulas Street where he apprehended him and flagged down a State Police car. Arrested and charged with armed robbery was Ross Flucker, 23, whose last know address is 318 Avenue A, Westwego. (The sheriff's office had no arrest information available.)

The gunman who got away was described as 19 years old, 5'7" tall, wearing a black hooded jacket and dark pants.

Some cases just don't make sense: A 27-year-old black tourist went into the 8th District police station to report he had been held up about 5:28 a.m. Friday morning in the 100 block of Bourbon Street by a man who demanded his car keys. He handed over his keys, he said, and then saw his yellow Mustang being driven down Canal Street a short time later, he said. He told the police he didn't see the perpetrator with a weapon nor did the perpetrator tell him he had one. He couldn't give a description of the perpetrator and had no information on the car.

Sometimes police don't make sense either: Police report K-32163 says a man was robbed at 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning in the 800 block of Fulton Street. The crime map links report K-32163 to an armed robbery Monday morning at 5:30 p.m. in the 600 block of Commerce Street--5 blocks away. Hmmmm? One crime, mislabeled map? Two crimes, one report short? Perhaps chalk it up to an overworked staff that did a helluva job keeping the Bayou Classic in bounds this year. All in all, it was a relatively tame weekend.

Except for auto thefts: 36 cars were stolen in the past week, 30 of them this weekend (Friday to Sunday), with 14 alone stolen on Sunday, most of them in the CBD. What happens in New Orleans, stays in New Orleans--including sometimes your ride.

As the saying goes: "Dress to kill" is a quaint expression turned into the name of a swank ladies' boutique at 207 Dauphine St. But there's no thought of renaming it after the phrase "Good enough to eat" following an incident there last Tuesday (11.20.07). A 23-year-old clerk attempted to stop a duo she suspected of shoplifting. A woman suspect fled on foot, and when the clerk put out her arm to attempt to stop the other suspect--a man dressed as a woman--bit the clerk on the arm and fled. Both he and the female suspect hopped in a car to make their getaway.

Based on a description by a witness, police were able to track down the car a short time later. Officers observed several new items in the car for which the occupants of the car couldn't supply receipts. The clerk from the store was unable to identify any of the merchandise as items believed missing from her store, but she did identify the man in the car who bit her.

Arrested for aggravated battery was Manuel Brown, 21, a 5'8", 145-lb. male, whose last known address is 3723 Gibson St. He has bonded out of OPP on $2,500 bail.

The car was impounded for additional investigation of the merchandise found in it.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 11.20.07

He's on the loose again...

Beware!: One of the suspects arrested recently in the string of robberies by a gang of juveniles is walking the streets again. Marshan Bowden, 17, bonded out of OPP on 11.13.07 after being arrested 11.09.07 and charged with first degree robbery and simple robbery. Bond was set at a rather modest $20,000 on each count--an amount all but the poorest slob could raise, considering only $5,000 cash was needed.

The simple robbery charge stems from the theft of a man's bicycle at Frenchmen and Burgundy streets on 10.12.07 . The first-degree robbery charge is for a robbery 11.3.07 around 6:50 a.m. at Royal and Ursulines streets in which Bowden was identified as one of 3 black boys who slugged a man in the face and took his money.

Bowden, whose last known address is 1409 Frenchmen St., is a black boy, 6'1" tall, weighing 180 pounds. He's not due back in court until 1.10.08.

The plague of robberies by juveniles, most in the Marigny Triangle, has subsided since the arrest of Bowden and one of the juveniles implicated in the crimes. But I'd still keep my eye out for these punks who struck mostly around Burgundy and Frenchmen streets and in the 1400 block of Dauphine Street. You know what the one suspect looks like and the kid criminals range in age from 11 to 16.

Uptown tougher?: Uptown neighborhoods experienced a similar rash of robberies by young thugs last week. The big difference is that Deputy Chief Anthony Canatella, who used to command the 6th District in that area before becoming chief of operations, called in the Tactical Squad to squash the crime wave quickly. When the 8th District had that horrendous tide of armed robberies back in July, Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th, and Lt. Eddie Selby, head of the 8th's investigative unit, were ordered by the top brass to put an end to the mayhem but were given no additional personnel. It's to Hosli's and Selby's credit that they were able to cobble together a force from the officers they had to cut short the crime wave.

On top of the Tactical Squad rushing to aid the rich folks Uptown, Cannatella asked the DA's office to charge the 15- and 16-year-olds they arrested as adults. Why shouldn't the same justice apply to the juvenile punks terrorizing the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle? These kids are not young innocents who don't know what they're doing--if you're old enough to use a gun, you're old enough to do big time. Most of the suspects arrested for armed robbery seem to be 17 to 19--the juveniles terrorizing our neighborhoods now are just tomorrow's criminals in training.

Serves him right: One of the thugs who beat up and robbed a tourist from Singapore in the restroom of the Au Bon Gourmet Deli at 1100 Canal St. on 10.29.07 got what was coming to him 4 days later.

Cardero Davis, 20, was gunned down in broad daylight 11.2.07 at N. Villere and Pauger streets. He was carrying a sawed-off shotgun when he met with a hail of bullets that pierced his head and body. According to police, he was pistol-whipped 2 days earlier by a group of guys and they came back to finish the job.

This bad ass apparently didn't appreciate that the new DA--when she was still in charge of deciding who to charge and not charge--decided not to charge him 9.11.07 for a whole list of charges: attempted burglary of an inhabited dwelling, injuring or killing a police dog, flight from an officer, and criminal trespass. No reason was given for dropping the charges, but street justice took care of him less than 2 months later.

Saved by FEMA: A 30-year-old Asian female from California was robbed of her purse at Dauphine and Barracks streets around 1:40 p.m. on 11.10.07 a black boy who fled into the FEMA trailer park at N. Rampart Street and Esplanade Avenue. He was described as 6' tall, wearing a white tank top and black pants.

Auto thefts soar: Only 9 cars were stolen in the 8th District last week, but in the past 2 days of this week 6 cars have already been stolen--5 in the CBD and one in the Marigny Triangle. With the Bayou Classic coming this weekend--and arriving in fancy cars--look out!

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 11.12.07

Two down...

...and how many more to go?: Lt. Eddie Selby's detectives hauled in one of the teenage robbers last Friday, just one day after beefing up daylight patrols in the Marigny Triangle to curb the rash of robberies by juveniles there. Only Marshan Bowden, charged with first-degree robbery and simple robbery, is not a juvenile. (He must have forgotten he had a birthday just 12 days before the crime he's charged with. Welcome to the big time little man!)

Bowden, 17, is charged in the first of several robberies, armed and otherwise, by black kids that have terrorized the Triangle for the past month. On 10.12.07 at 5:30 p.m. at Frenchmen and Burgundy streets, one of 3 punks punched a 24-year-old white guy who lives in the 3700 block of Dauphine Street in the mouth, knocking him off his bicycle. Another of the hoodlums took the bike and rode off. The young thugs were described as wearing white shirts and khaki pants--the uniform of McDonogh 35 High School.

Two days later on 10.14.07 at 2 p.m. at the same location, a gang of 5 or 6 black boys--one on a bicycle--approached a group of white women walking to a house tour were accosted. The punk on the bicycle grabbed the purse of a 30-year-old white woman who lives in the 2100 block of N. Rampart Street. The victim pursued the kid on the bike up Touro Street and retrieved her purse when its strap broke and it fell from the crook's grasp. Again, the robber was described as wearing a white muscle shirt and khaki pants.

Detectives also hauled in a 15-year-old juvenile. Other kids involved in the other robberies are believed to be the 12- and 13-year-old younger brothers of the older punks who live outside the Triangle. Bowden lived on Frenchmen Street, just across St. Claude Avenue, not far from the crime scene. Police have their eyes on 4 juveniles and are surveilling their residences in the same neighborhood to monitor their comings and goings.

Now 11-year-olds?: We have more details on an armed robbery that happened last Tuesday (11.6.07) morning about 8:20 a.m. in the Triangle. A 29-year-old white woman who lives in the 900 block of Dauphine Street was robbed just as she was about to enter her car which was parked in the 1400 block of Dauphine, just off Esplanade Avenue.

The victim turned to see a black kid pointing a chrome .22-cal. semi-automatic pistol at her and demanding "Gimme your purse!" She thought he was kidding, but he reiterated: "Gimme your f*****g purse!" and began waving the gun in a more menancing manner. She refused and began screaming to alert the neighbors to call 911.

A second black youth came around from the back of the car and grabbed the woman's purse; in the ensuing tug-of-war, the contents of the purse spilled to the ground. The 2 young punks fled up Kerlerec Street with the victim and 2 neighbors--one reported armed with a shotgun--in pursuit. The victim managed to retrieve her ID, credit cards, $50 cash and a check for $2,700; the thieves made off with the purse which still contained a pepper grinder, manicure set, and contact lens case.

The victim described one of her assailants as "a kid, not even a teenager," and estimated his age as 11 years old. He was 5'3" tall, slim with a medium complexion, a short, tight afro haircut, and wore a light-colored, possibly white, T-shirt and jeans. The other perpetrator was described as 15 years old, 5'7" to 5'8"tall, very thin, wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and a red baseball cap.

Reporting streetlights out: Ambushed by queries about burned-out streetlights at last month's NONPAC meeting, Mary Cunningham of Councilman James Carter's office launched a preemptive strike at this month's meeting. Before the meeting got rolling, she outlined he procedure for reporting streetlight problems:

• Call the city at 658-2299;
• Give the exact location of the light, preferably the street address it is in front of, the pole number, and the nearest cross street;
• You will be given a reference number for future inquiries about the same problem;
  
• The Department of Public Works will send out someone to inspect the problem and repairs should be completed in 6-8 weeks.)

Or you can call her in Carter's office at 658-1030. She said she had already reported 14 problem streetlights in the French Quarter in the past week.

Fighting auto theft: Auto thefts in the 8th District (French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, CBD/Warehouse District) were down the past week, though they've already topped 300 for the year. And the way some of the thefts occur continues to boggle the mind.

"One car was taken by the girlfriend--now ex-girlfriend--of a guy here and being used by the new boyfriend in Alabama," said Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District.

And many "thefts" are reported by tourists exiting a bar too inebriated to find their vehicle. "I guess that's a blessing in disguise--if you're that drunk you shouldn't be finding your car," the captain said.

Capt. Hosli invited Peter Perrien, a former NOPD officer now with the LoJack Corp., to the NONPAC meeting to talk about ways to thwart auto thieves. He explained that a car thief armed only with a screwdriver could steal most any car in a matter of minutes; and within an hour and half of stealing it, the thief could change the VIN numbers to deter identifying it.

Calling 911 if you see someone lurking suspiciously around cars in your neighborhood is the first defense. He cautioned also to be aware of tow trucks without a company insignia on the door--they are often used to steal a car under the guise of a tow job.

Among the things you can do (as outlined in a pamphlet he made available):

Use common sense:

• Never leave leave a spare key in or on your vehicle;
• Close and lock all windows and doors;
• Park in a well-lit area;
• When at home, keep your vehicle in your garage;
• Don't leave valuables in your vehicle, especially where they can be seen;
• Never, ever leave the area while your car is running.

Use a theft deterrent device that add a layer of protection that may deter some thieves:

• An audible device like an alarm may be enough to scare off the amateur thief or make the professional choose another target;
• A visible device like a steering wheel lock (such as The Club), theft deterrent decal or window etching.

Use a vehicle immobilizer:

• Install a smart key or fuel cut-off device;
• A kill switch or starter, ignition and fuel disabler.

Use a vehicle recovery system: If your vehicle is desirable enough, the pros can outsmart just about any theft deterrent, systems like the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System can help authorities track down and recover your vehicle if it's stolen.

LoJack is a small wireless transmitter that, when your car is reported stolen, is activated and immediately indicates the location of the vehicle. Perhaps a little pricey at $695, it's a one-time fee and it stays with the vehicle for life. There are also LoJack devices for motorcycles, construction equipment and laptop computers. Capt. Hosli reported solving a recent case by tracking a laptop equipped with LoJack.

For more information, you can contact Peter Perrien at pperrien@lojack.com.

Speaking of hot cars: You might have noticed the annual parade of Ferraris through the French Quarter was not as noisy as usual this year. Capt. Hosli interspersed a patrol car between every 3 Ferraris to slow them down. In past years, their parade through the Quarter often resembled a European road race, with the cars revving their high-powered engines and accelerating rapidly; this year, the slowed-down cars were over-heating.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.com

Thom Kahler

Crime update 11.06.07

Reign of terror...

Black boys terrorizing Marigny Triangle: It just keeps getting worse. Teenage thugs struck twice Monday afternoon within 15 minutes of each other. Both times their attempted robberies were thwarted. The first time because the would-be victim spoke Spanish and they didn't (hell, most of them don't even speak English well). The second time because a birthday boy with gift cash pinned to his shirt laughed in their faces.

• In the first case, a 51-year-old white woman standing outside her home in the 1800 block of Burgundy at 4 p.m. when was accosted by 2 black boys, believed to be 12 to 15 years of age. One of the kids, holding a gray semi-automatic handgun, demanded her purse. She said something in Spanish and walked into her house. The perplexed robbers began talking to each other about not understanding Spanish, then fled up Kerlerec Street empty-handed.
  

The kid with the gun was described as 5'4" tall, weighing 110 pounds, wearing a black T-shirt and black pants. His accomplice was only described as wearing a white shirt and brown pants.

• In the second case, a white couple, a guy celebrating his 28th birthday and his 34-year-old girlfriend, who live in the 1300 block of Decatur Street, were standing in the intersection of Esplanade Avenue and Chartres Street about 4:15 p.m. when they were approached by 2 black boys. One pulled out a small black semi-automatic handgun and demanded the man "Give me the money on your shirt!," referring to the dollar bills friends had pinned to his shirt as a birthday gift. His girlfriend thought it was a joke and mocked the would-be robber by asking "Are you even 21 years old?" The flustered kid took the magazine out of his gun to prove "This is a real f*****g gun!" The victims began to laugh and the perpetrators fled up Esplanade, again empty-handed.
  

The perpetrators were thought to be 15 years old, both dressed in black shirts and dark-colored shorts, with short twist-style haircuts.

• A 51-year-old white Metairie woman was not as lucky Saturday night. She was walking with 2 female friends to her car in the 1400 block of Dauphine Street at about 8:30 p.m. when 2 black kids coming from Esplanade Avenue confronted them. One of the perpetrators pulled a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded "Give me your purse! I've got a gun! I will shoot!" She surrendered her purse containing $50, credit cards, and her cellphone. The robbers fled up Dauphine into the depths of the Marigny.
  

One punk was described as 16 years old, 5'8" tall, weighing 120 pounds, with a dark complexion and no facial hair, wearing a black hoodie sweatshirt and dark jeans. The other was about 17 years old, 5'10" tall, 145 pounds.

• A NOcrimeline subscriber reported there was another robbery this morning in front of 1426 Dauphine St. at 8:20 a.m. (The police report on that is not yet available.) A neighbor pursued the black boys down Kerelec Street but lost sight of them around St. Anthony Street. She said the boys looked to be 12 or 13 years old, wearing baggy pants and hooded sweatshirts.

Now the GOOD news: Lt. Eddie Selby, head of the 8th District Investigative Unit, is back on the job and starting tomorrow he's going to begin spinning a web to ensnare these teenage thugs who've become increasingly bold in the last few weeks in robbing the Triangle.

After lengthy meetings yesterday and today with Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, Lt. Selby decided to expand his anti-robbery task force that's been so successful in the Lower French Quarter and Triangle after the rash of armed robberies last July. At least 8 more officers will go out as early as 3 p.m., on foot, in cars, and on scooters to ring the Triangle. "Let them come to us" when they try to flee, he says.

"We have a good idea who they are," he says, and plans surveillance of a house where they think they're coming from.

The pussy-footing courts--afraid of traumatizing the juveniles (sounds like "Dear Officer Krupke" from West Side Story)--won't let the police get pictures of the punks for a photo line up to show the victims without probable cause. Might be a good time to tighten the noose of curfew laws. Is that "probable cause" enough for you?

Et tu, DA?: Before you get carried away celebrating the exit of District Attorney Eddie Jordan, the new DA may not be much of an improvement. Keva Landrum-Johnson, who took over for Jordan, was his chief of screening who reviewed arrests and determined whether charges should be brought. But get this: Less than a month before becoming DA, she cut loose a suspect the victim had positively identified as the man who attempted to rob him in the French Quarter in September.

No reason was given why she refused to prosecute the charge of attempted armed robbery against Charles J. Bush Jr. on 10.03.07. So this guy, whose last known address was in the 1500 block of Conti Street (that's right, it's in the Iberville Project) is on the loose, along with his accomplice who was never caught.

The incident occurred at about 9 p.m. on 9.02.07 when 2 black men sitting on the steps at 1030 Burgundy St. stopped a 39-year-old white man who lives in the 900 block of Gov. Nicholls Street and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at him. The victim exclaimed "I don't have anything," emptying his pockets to show them he had only credit cards on him. The would-be robbers ordered him down on the ground and fled on foot down Burgundy, turning onto Ursulines Avenue going toward N. Rampart Street.

This case was notable for its tremendous amount of citizen involvement in alerting police to the suspects. A man sitting on his porch in the 1100 block of Burgundy Street called 911 when he saw two black men acting suspiciously by following solitary pedestrians up and down the block. A couple out walking their dog had also noticed the suspicious duo and flagged down the police car that was dispatched.

About 45 minutes later, police apprehended a man just 5 blocks away on N. Rampart who fit the description the victim gave: 5'7" tall, weighing 150 pounds, dark complexion, wearing a long red shirt, a red cap, long black denim shorts, black and white hi-top shoes. The victim was taken to that scene and, according to the police report, "immediately and positively identified" Bush as one of the men who held him up.

So, go figure why the new DA in her old capacity put a guy back on the street after the victim was so sure he had been robbed by him. Kind of hard to miss a guy in a red shirt. It would be a good question to ask her when she's coronated as Jordan's heir.

Murder suspect caught or not?: The NOPD reported a suspect has been arrested in the brutal beating of a beloved French Quarter icon, Jon Newlin, and the murder of a neighbor. Cleveland Moore, a friend of Newlin's, who occasionally stayed with Newlin at his home in the 700 block of Marigny Street but disappeared after the crime, was reportedly arrested 10.26.07.

Newlin who clerked at a bookstore on Chartres Street in the French Quarter, had a legion of fans. Said one, " Everyone in the Quarter loved to shop at Librarie Bookstore just to listen to him talk about books--I think he has read everything ever written and remembers it all even now!"

However, considering the way the NOPD public information officers mucked up their report, it's hard to tell if they have a suspect in custody or not.

Their press release starts off, "Members of the New Orleans Police Department arrested 41-year-old Cleveland Moore in connection with the Nov. 15, 2005, murder of Joyce Rader that occurred in the 700 block of Marigny Street." Then the last paragraph says, "Today shortly after 10 a.m. Tallahassee Sheriff's Department apprehended Moore in Tallahassee Florida and booked him for First Degree Murder." It's doubtful the NOPD's jurisdiction extends to Florida; and it's not the sheriff's department in Florida is Leon County, not "Tallahassee." Website checks of both Leon County and OPP here do not show Moore as an inmate. So where is he? (And we were incredulous at Jordan's claims he couldn't get straight information from the cops.)

Maybe now there's hope NOPD homicide detectives will also solve the murders of Helen Hill and Robin Malta, two other Marigny's residents with French Quarter connections. If the public relations officers don't get involved.

Auto thefts, of course: Auto thefts continue to abound in the 8th District, but there's no reason to make it too easy on the thieves.

A patron of Harrah's Casino turned his car over to the gambling den's valet on 10.28.07 . When he returned a few hours later, he was told his silver-colored 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee had been taken by "an unknown black male." Looks like they get you coming or going.

A driver parked his car in the 1900 block of Dauphine Street and left it running with the keys in the ignition while he went inside. In less than a minute, he heard the engine revving and went outside just in time to see his green 1997 Ford Mustang being driven away.

Burglaries in close proximity: Burglaries in the 8th District are generally random, but 2 in the past week occurred a block from each other with a similar M.O.s.

The first, on 10.28.07 occurred in the 1700 block of N. Rampart Street. At about 7 p.m., a resident reported hearing noise coming from her roommate's room, but knew her roommate wasn't home. When police arrived, they discovered the bathroom window in the roommate's room was open and the burglar bars had been removed. Missing was a laptop computer and external hard drive.

The second occurred nearly a week later in the 1700 block of Burgundy Street. A resident left his apartment at about 3 p.m. on 11.02.07 and returned the next day about noon. He noticed a window open. Missing were two 6-string guitars, a BC Rico and a Ibanez.

Not so fun Halloween: A 24-year-old black woman, walking with her 19-year-old white female friend, in the 1000 block of Burgundy Street at 11:30 p.m. Halloween night, was robbed of her purse containing both of their property. A black man came up behind them and grabbed the purse, the victim released her grip on it to avoid being injured. He fled down Burgundy toward Esplanade Avenue.

The thief was described as 35 to 45 years old, 5'7" tall, 160 pounds, unshaven with a goatee, unkempt short bushy hair, gold upper teeth, wearing a light colored shirt and dark pants. Best guess is that wasn't a costume, so keep an eye out for him.

A waste of beer: A would-be thief allegedly threw his cup of breakfast beer in the face of a 66-year-old man walking in the 800 block of Toulouse Street at 9:30 a.m. last Tuesday (10.30.07) and tried to snatch his wallet. He failed and the old man pursued him until police arrived and apprehended the beer-bereft bandit.

Arrested and charged for attempted simple robbery was Daniel Eaton, a 47-year-old white man. (We'd show you his picture, but for some reason Sheriff Gusman never seems to have pictures of white suspects. Hmmm, curious.)

NONPAC's new home: The monthly meeting of NONPAC (New Orleans Neighborhood Policing Anti-Crime Council) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. will be held again at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, 1001 Toulouse St. (at Burgundy Street) in the Renoir Room.

This looks to be the new regular meeting place since The Omni Royal Orleans has claimed to be short on space the past 2 months and has been less than hospitable in recent months.

NONPAC is a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with the commanders of the 8th District and voice your concerns. It would be a good time to ask Capt. Hosli what he's going to do about these teenage punks who are running amuck in the Quarter and Triangle.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 10.29.07

Just when you thought...

Robberies resume: I was just thinking the other day how long it had been since there was an armed robbery in the 8th District (French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, CBD). I even looked back in my files to finally find one on 9.23.07 in the CBD; the last one in the Quarter was 9.18.07. I should have been knocking wood.

Now the kids have got guns in the Marigny: Last Thursday, 2 white female tourists from Nevada, one 24 and the other 26 years old, where held up at gunpoint by 4 black boys ranging in age from 14 to 16 years old. The women were walking on Frenchmen Street about 7:45 p.m. As they turned on to St. Claude Avenue, the gang came up behind them.

One punk pointed a small silver-plated semi-automatic pistol at the older woman and demanded her purse. Another thug pointed a similar pistol at the younger woman's head and demanded her purse. Both women complied. The gang fled across St. Claude Avenue.

The 2 gunmen were both described as wearing dark blue hooded sweatshirts, blue baseball caps, and blue jeans. One boy is about 5'4" tall, weighing 120 pounds; the other is 5'11" talk, weighing 170 pounds. The other 2 perpetrators were described as wearing white T-shirts and blue jeans, 5'5" tall, weighing 140 pounds.

On Saturday afternoon--in broad daylight--a 30-year-old waitress walking home at 4 p.m. from her job at Wasabi Sushi & Bar at Burgundy and Frenchmen streets was held up block from home at Dauphine and Frenchmen streets.

Her assailant pointed a gray semi-automatic handgun at her and demanded her purse. She dropped the purse, he picked it up and fled up Frenchmen and across St. Claude Avenue.

The thief was described as a black boy, 14 years of age, 5'3" tall, weighing 130 pounds, medium afro hair, wearing green long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans.

Bars knocked over: A gunman held up the Rawhide Lounge, 740 Burgundy St., on Thursday at about 3:20 a.m. when the bar was deserted and about to close.

The robber pointed a silver-plated semi-automatic handgun at the bartender and jumped over the bar , demanding money. The thief told the bartender, "Don't be stupid" and opened the cash register himself and took an undisclosed amount of money. He then took $920 from the bartender's back pocket.

The crook was described as a black man, about 5'8" tall, weighing 160 pounds, dressed all in black including a stocking over his head, a jacket and jeans, a baseball cap, and white shoes. He was armed with a silver-plated semi-automatic handgun.

This morning--at the exact time and only a block away from Thursday's bar robbery--a lone robber held up the Ninth Circle bar, 700 N. Rampart St.

He handed the bartender a note and asked him if he knew where the address on the note was. The bartender read the note, which said: "Don't scream. I'll shoot. Just fill up the bag." the bartender looked up and saw the thief pointing a silver-plated semi-automatic pistol at him. The bartender emptied the cash register of about $1,000 and put it in the black satin bag the robber was holding. The crook fled down Rampart Street.

The perpetrator was described as a black man, 25 to 30 years old, 5'6" tall, wearing a white baseball cap, a white T-shirt and dark pants.

Beware of gutter punks: Two white guys--described by the victim as "gutter punks"--attacked a 22-year-old black man on Saturday, 10.20.07, at 2:30 a.m. while he was walking on Esplanade Avenue at Chartres Street.

One of the gutter punks pulled a knife and stabbed the victim on the right fore arm. The victim, who lives in the 600 block of N. Rampart Street, was taken to Tulane Hospital where he was treated and released.

One suspect was described as 6' tall, weighing 180 pounds, black hair, wearing a black shirt and a black jacket with numerous patches on it, and had piercings in his nose, lip and eyebrow. The second suspect had blond hair and a thin build.

Pursesnatching: A 25-year-old local woman who was walking to her car at St. Peter and Decatur streets on Sunday, 10.21.07, at 12:30 a.m. had her purse snatched. She felt a tug on her arm from behind. When she turned around she saw a black man running away and hopping into a car.

Nearly 300 auto thefts: As Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District reported at the last NONPAC meeting, his district is plagued by auto thefts. As of last Wednesday, there had been 359 auto thefts reported in the 8th District (French Quarter, CBD, Marigny Triangle) so far this year. But 77 of these have been "unfounded"--someone forgets where they parked their car so thinks it's been stolen, a drunk comes out of a bar and can't find his car, an illegally-parked car has been towed, etc. That leaves 282 that were actually stolen--about one a day!

We're still trying to get a handle on the auto thefts and where and when they're occurring. The worst area in the French Quarter seems to be Burgundy and Dauphine streets from Conti Street to Toulouse Street--a concentrated 2-block area!

Burglar goes bye-bye: The burglar who was so fond of Decatur Street businesses last summer is going away for awhile. Peter J. Burke, 29, was sentenced by District Judge Frank Marullo on 9.18.07 to 4 years at hard labor on 5 counts of burglary.

Burke was arrested for a rash of burglaries that plagued Decatur Street businesses during the month of May. Burke had such a fondness for one particular business--Cajun Party at 907 Decatur St.--that detectives set up surveillance on the building about 1 a.m. on 5.18.07 and by 2 a.m. observed Burke attempting to enter the building. The arrested him and charged him with 4 burglaries there and one attempt.

Pray for Eddie: Keep Lt. Eddie Selby in your prayers. He had to go under the knife recently at EJGH and is recuperating now. But, as you can imagine, he's chomping at the bit to get back on the job. He's missed--not only by us, but by Capt. Hosli too.

Thom Kahler