Crime alert 12.24.07

'Tis the season...

Supposed to be for giving, not taking: Wouldn't it be nice on Christmas Eve to report that all was quiet and peaceful? But no such luck. But 4 armed robberies in the Lower French Quarter and Marigny Triangle on Sunday and 7 others last week in the Quarter and Triangle make that impossible. Crime doesn't take a holiday, so be careful if you're going out on Christmas.

Here's what went down:

• You already knew about the robbery at Le Richelieu Hotel, 1234 Chartres St., last Thursday. We're still having trouble prying additional information out of the police, but a NOcrimeline subscriber reported 2 black men held up the establishment about 5 a.m. and got $900 from the front desk. Now we'll wait for the police's version.

• Then Friday night about 11:10 p.m. there was a hold-up at Barracks and Burgundy Streets. Again, the police are delinquent in supplying any information.

• That same neighborhood was hit hard Sunday:

• First, Cosimo's bar at 1201 Burgundy St. was robbed in the early morning hours at about 1:10 a.m.
  

A black guy walked in and handed the female bartender a note reading "I have a gun--put the money in the bag." When she asked if he was serious, he said yes and she complied by putting about $500 in the white plastic bag he gave her. Three patrons at the bar were unaware what had happened until the robber had fled.

He walked out of the bar and run up Burgundy, turning on Ursulines Street toward N. Rampart Street. He was described as 5'7" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with bulging eyes, and very short hair ("almost like a mohawk," the report stated). The detective is retrieving the video surveillance tape from the bar which corroborates the bartender's account of the crime.

• That night, at about 8:48 p.m., 2 black men, a 23-year-old man from Zachary, LA, and a 28-year-old man from Baton Rouge, walking in the 900 block of Gov. Nicholls Street just off Burgundy Street were approached from behind by a black man who pulled a black semi-automatic handgun with a chrome slide and demanded their money. The 23-year-old gave up his wallet containing about $110 and his cellphone, while the 28-year-old fled.

They then reunited and flagged down a Jefferson Parish sheriff's car that happened to be in the area which broadcast a description of the robber. A NOPD detective responding to the call spotted a suspect fitting the description at Pauger Street and St. Claude Avenue.

Based on positive identification by the victim and his friend, the NOPD charged Alvin Berfect, 18, whose last known address is 1820 Urquart St., a 5'10" tall black man weighing 160 pounds, wearing a white hoodie and a white hat with a red tip.

• Later, a 45-year-old man from North Carolina, walked into the 8th District station about 9:17 p.m. to report he'd been robbed at about 8:50 p.m. in the mid-900 block of Barracks Street, between Burgundy and Dauphine streets.

He said a black man pointed a black semi-automatic handgun with a chrome slide at him and demanded his money. The victim complied and gave him $41 and his cellphone.

He was shown the suspect apprehended in the prior robbery and positively identified Berfect as the man who had robbed him.

Berfect was charged with 2 counts of armed robbery with a firearm and is sitting in OPP on $200,000 bond.

• Still later in the evening, a black man walked into John Paul's bar at 940 Elysian Fields Ave. and asked for a drink. When the bartender asked for the man's ID, the man pulled a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded he bartender empty the cash register and hand over the money. The bartender complied, surrendering approximately $749.

The robber was described as 5'10" tall, weighing 190 pounds, clean shaven, wearing a dark hoodie over his head.

As I said, be careful out there...you might want to substitute the frankincense and myrrh with Smith & Wesson.

Make it a Merry Christmas no matter what.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 12.21.07

A robbery a day...

By comparison, not many: Labeling 6 robberies this past week in the 8th District (French Quarter and Marigny Triangle) as not many may sound facetious--until you compare it with the rash of robberies Uptown. Folks there have endured at least a dozen of them in the past week, and the police there think they're dealing with 4 gangs of robbers. And in the 8th, the cops have caught 3 of the suspected perpetrators and have a warrant out for a 4th:

• Friday (12.14.07), 9:10 p.m., Chartres and Gov. Nicholls streets: Simple robbery, but no additional information available.
  

• Saturday, 4:30 a.m., Dauphine and Bienville streets: Frederick Huguet, 21, a white male, was arrested for armed robbery for allegedly pointing a knife at a Hispanic man's chest and reaching in his pocket to steal his wallet. The victim pursued the robber and subdued him until police arrived. Huguet is being held on $75,000 bond in OPP.

• Sunday, 10:25 a.m., 335 Bourbon St.: A black guy went into the Bayou Land store and asked for a cigar. The clerk told him it was $1.25 but he handed her only a dollar. When she repeated it was $1.25, he pulled a dark-colored handgun from his waistband and took $330 from the cash register drawer. He fled down Bourbon, turning on Conti Street and crossed N. Rampart Street. The robber was caught by a video surveillance camera as he turned onto Conti. A crime lab technician got fingerprints from a store counter and even dusted for prints on a roll of quarters the thief pulled from the cash register but found none there. (Good effort, I'd say.)

The robber was described as 20 to 25 years old, 5'2" tall, weighing 120 pounds, wearing a red jacket, dark jeans, white tennis shoes and a red knit cap.

• Monday, 7:15 p.m., 900 block of Frenchmen Street: 2 white guys, one 52, the other 47, were walking to their home in the 2000 block of N. Rampart Street just around the corner, when they were stopped by 2 black men who asked for directions before pulling handguns on the victims. They took the victims' wallets, a cellphone, and a set of keys. The victims did not fight back and the perpetrators fled on foot.

A warrant has been issued for Duane Lawless, 33, whose last known address is 2110 N. Rochbeleve St., after he was observed on video surveillance trying to use one of the stolen credit cards at a Walgreen's store. He was positively identified from a photo lineup by one of the victims.

He has numerous previous arrests for robbery and drug offenses. He is described as 5'10" tall, weighing 170 pounds, with a small twist hairdo, and was wearing a gray sweatshirt at the time of this robbery.

His accomplice, who was not identified, is about 25 years old, 5'8" tall, weighing 160 pounds, and was wearing all black and a knit cap.

• Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., N. Rampart and Toulouse streets: Ervin Marshall, 35, whose last known address is in Loranger, LA, was arrested for attempted armed robbery. He allegedly followed another black man, who may have been celebrating his 42nd birthday, out of a bar and then stepped in front of him as he crossed the street. He stuck his hand inside his waistband and said "I know you got that money--give it up!" When the victim, who lives in the 2200 block of Orleans Avenue, grabbed his cellphone instead to call 911, the would-be robber said he was just joking and fled down Toulouse on foot and was apprehended by a police officer in a car. Marshall is sitting in OPP on $100,000 bond. No kidding.

• Wednesday, 12:05 a.m., 435 Frenchmen St.: 2 black guys walked into the Dragon's Den Lounge and ordered drinks. When the 30-year-old guy went to pay for his drink, his 25-year-old buddy told him to pay for his drink too. The fellow refused and his buddy became angry and grabbed the money from his hand and threatened to throw him from the balcony. The victim fled downstairs and called 911. The police arrived and arrested his buddy, Gregory Myles, for simple robbery. He is being held on a $5,000 bond.

• Thursday, 4:55 a.m., Le Richelieu Hotel, 1234 Chartres St.: That report is not yet available.

Fast and slow: A letter to the editor in the Times-Picayune on Sunday stirred a commotion about why the police didn't respond sooner to a car crash that might have solved an armed robbery moments earlier. You remember that incident on 12.9.07 when the "we be the police" guys robbed a Minnesota tourist on Ursulines Street and fled in his rental car down Chartres Street where they sideswiped several cars while escaping. Someone actually called in the hit-and-run to 911 moments before the robbery victim got back to his hotel and reported the robbery to 911.

Police responded "in a couple of minutes" to the robbery which occurred around 6 a.m., according to Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District. But the problem was, those officers didn't immediately connect the robbery with the hit-n-run call because that call came in earlier. Because both calls came shortly before the shift change, the hit-n-run wasn't considered high-priority and was "put back in the stack" by the shift supervisor for the oncoming shift to handle. That resulted in the hit-and-run not being investigated until nearly 3 hours later.

The way the situation was handled didn't please Hosli and he has laid down new guidelines for how such situations are handled in the future. Part of the problem is that Hosli is alloted few funds to pay for overtime in cases like this, so officers nearing a shift change has to request a case be "put back in the stack" for the next shift to handle rather than incur overtime. Another part of the problem is this "stack" has almost literally become that--one case accumulating on top of another with no set priority.

From now on, according to Hosli's new rules, an officer will alert his shift supervisor when he has to put a case back in the stack. The outgoing supervisor will alert the incoming supervisor to cases in the stack and the incoming supervisor will assign priority to those cases.

A lesson here: if we want better response times to 911 calls, we should be lobbying City Councilman James Carter --who's always talking about crime--for more overtime funds to be alloted to allow officers to respond to calls. And we should be campaigning for Chief Warren Riley to pick up speed on recruit the full contingent of officers authorized.

P.S. The Minnesota man, who lost virtually everything when his rental car was stolen, recovered his suitcases and clothes and Christmas presents when the car was found in the 600 block of Desire Street.

Confusion solved: We questioned in the last Crime Update report how the police could have the first name and birthdate of a suspect wrong on report and show that person as arrested. Ofc. Brian Shubert, who so diligently sends these reports to NOcrimeline, patiently explained:

"People can be booked under a false name in several ways. It may be that they lied about their name to the arresting officer. The correct name would not be learned until they were fingerprinted, which would mean more charges for them...

"Additionally, they could be booked incorrectly at lock up. Many people have been booked under wrong names dues to paperwork errors at intake. there is no way the the police could have the wrong name unless they incorrectly copied it from the perp's ID (unlikely) or were lied to. Most of the people arrested don't have ID.

"This particular perp (finally identified as James G. White, rather than another "White" with a different first name) has been arrested in the past under the name the police used this time. So, either he has lied in the past, which is possible, or he was incorrectly booked at lock up."

Another one let go: Remember all that hubbub about a pursesnatching on the steps of St. Mary's Church last May while the Vatican mosaic exhibit was going on? The man accused of the crime has been turned loose by the DA.

Citizens on the scene reported a man had grabbed a woman's purse while she was standing on the steps of the church in the 1100 block of Chartres, between Gov. Nicholls and Ursulines. Based on eyewitness accounts, police stopped a suspect in the 1100 block of St. Bernard Avenue, about 8 blocks from the scene of the crime, about 15 minutes later. One witness positively identified him as the perpetrator, but because the victim hadn't reported the crime, the suspect was released.

When the victim reported the robbery 2 hours later, Stephen J. Butler, 39, whose last known address was 1019 Kerlerec St., was arrested on a charge of simple robbery on 5.23.07. Last Tuesday, the DA--after letting Butler sit in OPP for almost 7 months--decided not to prosecute his case.

Cameras coming: The NOPD is currently installing video surveillance cameras around the city. The plan is to have 200 working by the end of the year, including 33 of them in the French Quarter and CBD.

According to Det. Mike Carambat of the Intelligence Unit, who is shepherding the program, 75 cameras are operational now and 25 more are due on-line "any day now." While there was speculation some of the cameras might only be "for show," Carambat emphasized, "None of the cameras will be dummy cameras!"

The NOPD district commanders chose the locations for cameras in their jurisdictions, giving priority to the most violent locations. The locations Capt. Hosli chose are the following intersections:

• Canal & Rampart
• N. Rampart & Iberville
• N. Rampart & Bienville
• N. Rampart & Conti
• N. Rampart & St. Louis
• N. Rampart & Toulouse
• N. Rampart & St. Peter
• N. Rampart & St. Philip
• N. Rampart & Esplanade
• N. Rampart & McShane
• St. Claude & Frenchman
• Burgundy & Ursulines
• Dauphine & St. Louis
• Dauphine & Barracks
• Esplanade & Frenchman
• Bourbon & Canal
• Bourbon & Bienville
• Bourbon & St. Louis
• Iberville & Chartres
• Chartres & St. Peter
• Moonwalk (fronting the river from Toulouse to Woldenberg Park)
• Elysian Fields & Dauphine
• Decatur & Bienville
• Canal & Royal
• Canal & Claiborne
• Canal & Wells (view what is coming off the ferry landing)
• St. Joseph & Fulton
• Convention Center & John Churchill Chase
• Camp & Julia
• Tchoupitoulas & Andrew Higgins
• S. Rampart & Common
• St. Charles & Lafayette
• Annunciation & Poeyfarre

"Unfortunately we are unable to satisfy all the requested locations for a variety of reasons." Carambat said, among them "funding restraints limiting the number of cameras and support equipment" and "insufficient infrastructure to support camera mounting, power or network connectivity bandwidth, etc."

But, he added, "The enthusiasm and support for this project by all the politicians and citizens make me believe that further expansion of the camera system is very likely if not certain."

In the future. he said, "Crime camera efforts will also involve continued efforts to link private/business video cameras (in public areas) to the NOPD system (which) can inexpensively expand the coverage by hundreds of cameras in very important locations."

While the deterrent effect of surveillance cameras is debatable, they have proven effective in identifying criminals so police can get those thugs off the street to prevent them from perpetrating more crimes. Let Councilman Carter know you're in favor of the cameras!

Scary, isn't it? Considering all the kids committing holdups in the Quarter and Triangle recently, it's a scary thought that even if the police manage to collar them, the juvenile detention facility is like a sieve.

For the third time in 15 months some of the urchins slipped out of the euphemistically-named Youth Study Center in Gentilly last Friday ( 12.14.07). And these are not young miscreants caught smoking in the boys' room--these are thugs who were incarcerated for armed robbery and attempted murder.

The juvenile court judges probing the escape problem at the center concluded it is the result "of poor administration, poor city leadership, and poor government." Plainly and simply that means Ray Nagin. I tell ya, folks, we've got to stop letting people who live in Houston and Atlanta stop electing our city leaders.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 12.15.07

Confusion reigns...

Whew: It's taken the better part of the week for figure out what happened to a suspect after he was arrested for an armed robbery on Monday night. Turns out the guy the police report said was arrested was wrong: the officer had the right last name, but the wrong first name and the wrong date of birth. You can imagine what hay the defense attorney will make of that when the case goes to court.

What happened was this:

A 39-year-old Metairie man was standing on Bourbon Street near Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop at St. Philip Street at 9:46 p.m. when he was approached by a white guy who asked if wanted to buy drugs. The man declined and started to walk off. The perpetrator stopped him and demanded his wallet. The victim told the suspect he would give him his money but not the wallet. When he removed the wallet from his back pocket, the robber grabbed it and the 2 began fighting over it. The thief pulled out a large knife and swung it at the victim, cutting him twice on the right forearm. The suspect fled down Bourbon Street with the man's wallet and about $200 in cash.

The victim, sufficiently incensed by loosing his wallet and cash and receiving the gash on his arm, walked around the French Quarter looking for his assailant. (Isn't the NOPD supposed to do this?) Nearly 2 hours later, the victim spotted the perpetrator at Royal and Toulouse streets at 11:32 p.m. The victim and 2 friends apprehended the perpetrator and held him until police arrived.

Arrested and charged with armed robbery and aggravated battery was James G. White, 24. He is being held on $100,000 bond.

A similar thing happened last month when a robbery suspect was caught by the victim and a couple of his buddies in the CBD. The suspect never did turn up in the Sheriff's files and who only knows what happened to him. I was starting to think it was the proverbial "taken for a long walk on a short pier."

The mounties to the rescue: With all the burglaries lately, it's nice to see the police nab a suspect. On Tuesday night about 10:14 p.m., officers on mounted patrol saw a black guy jump the fence from 1860 Burgundy St. after throwing a bicycle over it. The suspect fled on foot but the mounties surrounded the area and apprehended Jerome Dominick, 23, well-known to the police for a long history of burglary charges.

In fact, Dominick was due in court today on a previous charge but was out on $7,000 bond--the same amount of bond set for this charge of burglary and a host of other charges.

Speaking of burglaries, according to Capt. Edwin Hosli a warrant has been issued for Wade Crawford, 28, a white male, in the burglary last week of 916 St. Ann St. Police believe that burglary is related to another burglary at 1025 St. Ann St. They are still investigating another burglary last week at 834 Orleans St.

Tale of 2 suspects: Eric Gentris and Oneil Carter, who were charged for an armed robbery last July, went to court this past week and came out with drastically different results.

Gentris, 18, (top) pled guilty on Monday to a charge of first-degree robbery reduced from armed robbery and was sentenced to 7 years in the state pen. (Judge Frank Marullo suggested Gentris use the time to get his GED, a pair of eyeglasses, and medical treatment for his asthma. Sounds more like summer camp than the slammer.)

Gentris' buddy, Carter, 20, (bottom) chose a jury trial instead on armed robbery charges against him. After Carter's defense attorney discarded 10 jurors likely to convict his client, on Tuesday that jury couldn't decide on a verdict, resulting in a hung jury. It's up to the DA whether to charge Carter again.

The pair were arrested 7.8.07 for robbing a 36-year-old woman who lives on Royal Street as she and a male companion were walking near Royal and Touro streets at about 1:30 a.m.

One man stuck a handgun in the victim's face and said, "Give me your purse, ma'm," before jumping into a waiting car driven by his accomplice. The victim flagged down a marked patrol car driving past at about the same time and the officers caught up with the perpetrators' car.

Gentris, whose last known address was 1314 Claiborne Ave., was identified as the gunman, and Carter, 20, of Harvey, who was out on parole for an armed robbery in Jefferson Parish, was identified as the getaway driver.

Figuring out what's happening: After reporting earlier this week that the DA had cut Gino McDowell lose on a number of charges, including for an armed robbery in the French Quarter, we may have finally figured out what's happening with him.

The day after McDowell, 19, pled not guilty 11.5.07 to attempted second degree murder and the DA suddenly dropped that charge, the grand jury returned an indictment for first degree murder. He pled not guilty and is sitting in OPP without bond awaiting trial.

McDowell was arrested in Atlanta on Oct. 1 and charged with murder in the shooting death of an Alabama man 7.31.07 near Marais and Pauline streets, behind Drew Elementary School.

A month earlier, McDowell was accused in the armed robbery at 715 Gov. Nicholls St. on 7.30.08 at 12:30 a.m. of a man and woman from Covington.

Considering all the charges that were dropped against McDowell by the DA, if he's not convicted of the murder charge, guess who's coming to a neighborhood near you.

What's it take?: Remember the robbery on Bourbon Street in June that was caught on videotape and was so vicious that it sent the victim to the hospital with a fractured skull and possible broken neck, leaving him in a coma for nearly a week?

The DA can't find any evidence that the perpetrator ought to be charged with battery. Last Monday, she dropped the charge of second-degree battery against Louis A. Gordon, 19, who was arrested 10.9.07 for the attack and the robbery.

Gordon is still charged with armed robbery and is in OPP on $100,000 awaiting trial.

The victim and several friends were walking just after 3 a.m. on 6.22.07 in the 300 block of Bourbon Street when they were approached by 6 or 7 black men who tried to sell them drugs. The victim started to walk away when one of the men pick-pocketed his wallet. The victim tried to get it back when the perpetrator slugged him with his fist on the left side of the head. The
victim fell backward and landed on the concrete, suffering the severe injuries.

Now online: NOcrimeline is now online with its own webpage at www.nocrimeline.com. On the web you'll be able to access previous Crime Update reports, which include perpetrators' pictures, links to their inmate data, and the charges against them.

There's a "search" tool you can use to find a particular crime by searching by street location or a suspect's name.

You'll also be able to track suspects through the courts with just one click on the suspect's name.

In addition, there's a link to the NOPD's crime map targeted on the 8th District. There's also a link to various "Most Wanted Lists".

Google has managed to link ads to these columns which should prove helpful to you. For instance, if video surveillance is mentioned, there might be an ad directing you to a security firm. Or if auto thefts are the topic, an ad might list firms supplying anti-theft devices.

Please check out these ads. Your participation will help sustain the efforts of NOcrimeline.

***

NOcrimeline is a summary of some of the recent crimes occurring in the French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, and CBD. It does not list all crimes reported to the NOPD, but attempts to include those of most interest to residents concerned for their own safety.

You are welcome to forward this email to anyone who shares those concerns. To be added to our email list, send your FULL NAME and HOME ADDRESS to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.
As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

"We be the police"

Cops and robbers: The latest robbers menacing the Lower Quarter are posing as police officers. And they may be taking advantage of some knowledge of police procedures--they are striking in the 5 to 7 a.m. span when the real police are changing shifts. They struck last Friday at 4:55 a.m. in the 1300 block of Decatur Street and again Sunday at 6 a.m. in the 500 block of Ursulines Street. Last Wednesday they struck at 5 a.m. in the 900 block of Touro Street and then again an hour later at 6 a.m. in the 900 block of Barracks Street.

Only in the most recent robberies did the perpetrators pose as cops. The robbers in the last 3 robberies fit a similar description: in their 20s, one 5'7" tall, the other 5'10" tall, both weighing about 150 pounds, and both (please God, don't make me say "of course") black men. The robber from Touro Street, also black, was described as taller at 6' and heavier at 185.

The most recent armed robberies:

• 1300 block of Decatur Street, Friday, 12.7.07, 4:55 a.m.: 2 white guys, one 19 from Metairie and the other 26 from the CBD, were standing on the sidewalk when they saw a black man stagger toward them as if he was highly intoxicated. As the drunk got to them, he pulled a black semi-automatic pistol from his waistband and ordered the men to put their hands on the car next to them.

He told them he was the police and if they didn't cooperate he would put them in jail. He instructed them to hand him their wallets, then he asked for their identification. He took a set of keys from one of the victims and tried several of the keys on the door of the car they victims were leaning on.

Told that the car wasn't theirs, the robber handed back the keys and ordered the victims to lay on the ground with their face down and their palms out. The robber pretended to be talking on a police radio, saying he "had the subjects in custody."

The robber walked toward Esplanade Avenue with the victims' wallets containing about $190. He was described as 25-30 years old, 5'9" tall, weighing 160 pounds, wearing brown sweats, a matching hooded sweatshirt, and a black stocking cap.

• 500 block of Ursulines Street, Sunday, 12.9.07, 6 a.m.: 2 robbers took a 57-year-old Minnesota tourist for all he had. The victim was getting out of his rental car on Ursulines, a couple of car lengths from Chartres Street.

As he was reaching into the car, 2 black men approached the victim from behind, pointing a black semi-automatic pistol at his head. The gunman ordered him to "Get out and put your hands on the car!" and demanded his wallet. As the victim took his hand off the car to reach his wallet, the second robber got nervous and put the victim's hand back on the car, announcing, "We be the police!"

The second robber pushed the victim against a wall and began a systematic search, including the victim's socks. During the search, the robber grabbed the victim's crotch. The victim reacted by pulling his hand off the wall and striking the robber in the head with his elbow. The robber was started and the victim fled in the direction of his hotel in the 600 block of Ursulines.

As he looked back, he saw the robbers flee in his car up Chartres toward Esplanade Avenue where they sideswiped 3 parked vehicles in the 1200 block of Chartres.

In all, the victim lost his rental car (a dark gray, 4-door Chevrolet Impala, LA tag RDU673), his wallet containing $40 in cash, driver's license, 3 credit cards, health insurance cards, AAA card, his cellphone, his personal keys for a desk, car and home, a suit case with his clothing in the car's trunk, and Christmas presents.

The robbers were described as in their 20's, one 5'7" tall, the other 5'10", both weighing 150 pounds, both were wearing dark pants, one with a black T-shirt and the other a white T-shirt.

The police--the real ones--are hoping 2 video cameras in the area will help them identify the perpetrators. They are also staking out the Lower Quarter to nab the perpetrators pull another early a.m. robbery.

Another burglary: There was another residential burglary last week in the same vicinity of the mid-Quarter. This one occurred Thursday at 834 Orleans St., following earlier ones on Monday at 916 St. Ann St. and on Tuesday at 1025 1/2 St. Ann St.

For some reason the report detailing the Thursday episode isn't available yet.

Another case closed: We just found out that the new DA Keva Landrum (her last name ought to be "Let'em Go") dropped charges on 11.08.07 of robbery and battery against Billy Gaines, a 22-year-old dreadlocked dude from Algiers--despite an eyewitness account.

Gaines was arrested in August for the June 22 robbery of an 18-year-old white man at Dauphine and St. Louis streets--"Crack Corner".

A witness told police she saw the suspect standing on the corner with a group of black men and women about 3 a.m. and heard him tell his buddies he was going to punch the approaching victim in the face. The suspect, according to the witness, went up behind the victim in the 900 block of St. Louis Street, punched the man in the head and took his wallet containing $35 and his cellphone.

And still another: On Thursday, we reported we had just learned the DA decided 11.8.07 not to prosecute Gino McDowell for an armed robbery in the French Quarter in June. (We blamed it on Eddie Jordan, but it was actually "Lady Let'em Go" who was reducing her work load.)

Instead McDowell, 19, pled not guilty last Wednesday 11.5.07 to one count of attempted second degree murder and bond was set at $50,000. Then, surprisingly, the DA dropped that charge and decided to seek a grand jury indictment on a first degree murder charge.

McDowell had been arrested in Atlanta on Oct. 1 and charged with murder in the shooting death of an Alabama man July 31 near Marais and Pauline streets, behind Drew Elementary School.

A month earlier, McDowell had been accused in the armed robbery at 715 Gov. Nicholls St. on June 30 of a white couple from Covington, a man 36 and a woman 23, who were strolling about 12:30 a.m. when they stopped to admire a garden. The suspect allegedly crossed the street and pulled a gun on the pair, forcing the man to kneel on the sidewalk facing the wall. The robber got $30 and two credit cards from the man.

"Lady Let'em Go" dropped those charges too. What's the matter? Getting a gun stuck in your face and having your money taken is no longer considered a crime?

Don't forget: The monthly meeting of NONPAC (New Orleans Neighborhood Policing Anti-Crime Council) this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, 1001 Toulouse St. (at Burgundy Street) in the Renoir Room.

Capt. Hosli may introduce some or all of the 12 new recruits assigned to the 8th District from the most recent academy graduating class.

***

NOcrimeline is a summary of some of the recent crimes occurring in the French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, and CBD. It does not list all crimes reported to the NOPD, but attempts to include those of most interest to residents concerned for their own safety.

You are welcome to forward this email to anyone who shares those concerns. To be added to our email list, send your FULL NAME and HOME ADDRESS to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 12.6.07

That didn't last long...

When I started writing this column yesterday it was entitled "No news is good news", based on the fact there had been no armed robberies in the past 10 days nor much else of note. I should have known better.

Armed robbers strike twice: In an hour's time and only a few blocks from each other, armed robbers disturbed the early morning tranquility yesterday.

At 5 a.m., a 23-year-old white man was walking in the 900 block of Touro Street near Burgundy Street when he was approached by 2 black thugs. One of the perpetrators, holding a semi-automatic pistol, told the victim, "You know the deal..." The victim began emptying his pockets when he was struck in the face by the second perpetrator with a beer bottle. The robbers fled with $150 from the victim.

A brief description was given of only one of the robbers: 24-30 years old, 6' tall, weighing 185 pounds. No description was given of the other robber. Wake up folks! I know it's traumatic to be robbed, but how do you expect the cops to catch the perps if you can't give more of a description that that?

At 6:05 a.m., 2 elderly white men, one 82 and the other 70, were standing by their car in front of their house in the 900 block of Barracks Street near Dauphine Street when 2 black men approached on foot. One pulled a semi-automatic pistol from his waistband and pointed it at the head of one of the victims and said, "Give me your money or I'll shoot you, b****h!" The victim gave him $100 from his wallet while the second robber took the other victim's wallet. Noticing the victim's car keys in the trunk lock of the car, one of the thief's took the keys and the robbers fled in the victims' car.

Both robbers were described as 20-23 years old; one 5'10" tall, no weight given, wearing a dark-colored jacket and shirt and a knit cap, the other 5'8" tall, weighing 150 pounds, wearing a orange shirt and dark pants. You'd think the car they stole from the victims would be described in the police report, but it wasn't.

Burglaries on St. Ann: On Monday, the tenant in 916 St. Ann St. was notified by his landlord at 3:35 p.m. that his residence had been broken into. The victim, who had been gone since 8:30 a.m., returned home and saw the window pane in the entry door had been broken. A drawer that had been in a dresser upstairs was dumped on the sofa downstairs and $50 in loose change was missing from the drawer.

On Tuesday, an elderly resident of 1025 1/2 St. Ann St. awoke at 7 a.m. to find jewelry valued at $1,000 and a credit card missing from his bureau drawer. A large glass pane had been removed from a window to give the thief entry.

No way to treat a tourist: A 40-year-old white woman from Kentucky had her purse stolen Tuesday about 7 p.m. in a violent episode outside Harrah's Casino. She was at S. Peters and Gravier streets when she was attacked from behind by a black man who ripped the purse from her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. Her arm twisted around the purse as she fell and when the thief tugged violently at it, she repeatedly hit her head on the concrete sidewalk. The thief finally wrested her purse away and fled on foot.

The victim and a witness described the robber as 20-30 years old, 6'2" tall, weighing 250 pounds, wearing a white shirt and dark baggy pants, with a stocky/heavy build, dark complexion, short hair, no facial hair.

One thing leads to another: It started when Jefferey D. Struve, 32, apparently tried to commit theft with a credit card. It ended at 1234 Royal St. on Monday at 12:21 a.m. after he allegedly struck one NOPD officer with a lamp and another with his closed fist, and then grabbed one of the officer's service weapon and tried to remove it from the holster.

He wound up charged with resisting an officer, 2 counts of battery on a police officer, and disarming a police officer. Oh yeah, and then there's that charge for a burglary last year for which he failed to show up in court.

Struve, a white guy from Grand Rapids, MI, is sitting in OPP on a $50,000 bond. Bet he makes his next court date on 1.31.08. Happy holidays.

Smoking in the boys' room: Not sure why a 18-year-old student at Le Rabouin Career Magnet School at 727 Carondelet St. would be invited to the restroom by a friend, any more than I know why the police report is dated this past Sunday, unless the student waited to report the incident.

The police report did state: The restroom "is where the students are known to congregate for the purposes of smoking or other illegal activities." (No kidding? They still do that?) Apparently the purpose was the "illegal activities" his friend and 2 of his buddies were there for. They asked the victim if he had any money on him, and when he replied "yes", they emptied his pockets of all of $2 in change.

The NOPD arrested the victim's "friend", Carl Harris, 17, of 2432 Jackson St., Tyrone Hickerson, 18, of Harvey (What's the matter? They don't have schools in Jefferson Parish so they plague Orleans Parish?) , and a 15-year-old juvenile who lives at 2411 Magnolia St.

The police report noted that Harris and the juvenile were already wearing achievement badges for earlier accomplishments: "ankle bracelets for a prior conviction for auto burglary."

Wave bye-bye: There have been 40 cars stolen in the 8th District (French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, CBD) in the past 10 days--13 of them in just 3 days this week.

The real crime: The DA and the courts have done more harm to the citizens of the French Quarter recently than the criminals themselves.

• First, the DA (it was still Eddie Jordan then) decided not to prosecute Gino McDowell for an armed robbery in the French Quarter in June. Chalk it up to the DA and NOPD which insist on measuring crime only in terms of homicides. Never mind that every armed robbery is one just a slight squeeze of the trigger away from murder.

So McDowell, 19, went to court yesterday and pled not guilty to one count of attempted second degree murder. He's being held on a measly $50,000 bond. You're likely to see him on the street again soon. He is described as a black male, 6'1" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with medium-length dreadlocks. His last known address is 1539 Music St.

He had been arrested in Atlanta on Oct. 1 and charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of an Alabama man July 31 near Marais and Pauline streets, behind Drew Elementary School. When it was all said and done, the DA had changed 2 first-degree murder charges to a single second degree murder charge and dismissed 2 counts of aggravated battery, 2 counts of aggravated assault, and one of armed robbery.

The armed robbery charge was for the holdup at 715 Gov. Nicholls St. on June 30 of a white couple from Covington, a man 36 and a woman 23, who were strolling about 12:30 a.m. when they stopped to admire a garden. The suspect allegedly crossed the street and pulled a gun on the pair, forcing the man to kneel on the sidewalk facing the wall. The robber got $30 and two credit cards from the man.

• Second, an ad hoc criminal court judge, Robert Jenkins, a noted defense attorney, acted like he was still a defender and freed-- on drastically reduced charges-- the "Gang of 5+1" who went on a robbery spree one hot August night in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle.
  

The gang--2 young black men, 1 juvenile black boy, and 3 older black women--were arrested for staging 3 robberies in the span of 90 minutes on 8.10.07:

• 600 block of Burgundy Street, 10:35 p.m., of a 48-year-old white man who lives in the 900 block of Conti Street;

• Dauphine and Kerelec streets, 11:15 p.m., of a 27-year-old white man who lives in the 1900 block of Dauphine;

• Dauphine and St. Philip streets, 12:10 a.m. (the same night), of a 22-year-old white man who lives in the 500 block of Dumaine Street.
  

The last victim alerted a cop parked in the 1100 block of Dauphine and the officer took off down St. Philip where he spotted a man fitting the perpetrator's description getting into a car. The officer, joined by other NOPD cars, pursued the getaway car to the 1000 block of Chartres Street where they apprehended the 6 suspects.

A gun described in each of the robberies was found in the glove compartment and various property taken in the robberies was found on the back seat. Sounds like pretty convincing evidence to me.

Arrested were:

• John James, 20, whose last known address is 1736 Vintage Dr., Kenner. He was charged with 2 counts of armed robbery, 1 count of robbery with a firearm, and was wanted on a warrant from the Jefferson Parish. He was identified in all 3 robberies.

• Wilbert Johnson, 18, whose last know address is 444 Sopaparu St. He was charged with 1 counts of armed robbery and 1 count of robbery with a firearm. He was identified in the Dauphine/Kerelec robbery and the Dauphine/St. Philip robbery.

Charged with one count each of armed robbery were:

• Kiandra Lee, 23

• Tiandra Lee , 21

• Tiffany LeBlanc, 25

• A 14-year-old black boy, whose last know address is 1839 Carondelet St.

The 3 women share the same 1736 Vintage Dr., Kenner address as John James.

This crime was considered so serious at the time that when the "Gang of 5" adults were jailed their combined bond was set at $725,000. Even the girls were held on $75,000 bond each--$25,000 more than Gino McDowell (see above) for attempted murder!

After the quintet sat for nearly 4 months in OPP, the DA dropped all the armed robbery charges against James and Johnson. Instead she accepted their guilty pleas to a single count each of simple robbery. Jenkins sentenced each man to 3 years in prison, gave them credit for time served, and released them. Adios, just like that.

The 3 girls--whose crime was probably just riding in a car with boys--were nolle prose'd on all charges and they walked.

Who knows what happened to the kid in the juvenile "justice" system.

"Judge" Jenkins was filling in for deposed judge Charles Elloie and obviously following Elloie's tradition of soft-hearted justice; Laurie White was elected and will soon be sworn into that post soon. We can only hope she'll dispense justice more equitably.

The new DA who took over for Eddie Jordan--and we don't need to enumerate his sins--looks like she's more of the same, which we'll have to endure her for another year. We'd better start scrutinizing candidates for DA now before the fall 2008 election. Charles Foti anyone? If he was chastened enough by being "unelected" state attorney general he might do well if he's as zealous against criminals as he was against citizens.

***

NOcrimeline is a summary of some of the recent crimes occurring in the French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, and CBD. It does not list all crimes reported to the NOPD, but attempts to include those of most interest to residents concerned for their own safety.

You are welcome to forward this email to anyone who shares those concerns. To be added to our email list, send your FULL NAME and HOME ADDRESS to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

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