Crime update 1.8.08

Robbers running rampant...

Until some of them are caught, that is: It had been relatively quiet, but in the last 2 days the 8th District has been plagued by 8 robberies. Details are sketchy on some of the crimes, but you need to know the bad guys are out there perpetrating their crap even if most of us are reveling in LSU's championship.

Two armed robberies 5 minutes apart this morning near Commerce and Julia streets in the CBD resulted in the apprehension of 2 suspects.

The first occurred at 12:05 a.m. when 2 black guys accosted a couple walking in the 800 block of Commerce. (The victims were not identified. The police report only said they were "Known" . Whether this means they were celebrities out carousing or some high-muck-a-mucks, I don't know.) The first robber struck the man in the head several times with a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded his money, taking his wallet and cellphone from his pockets. The other robber stuck a small chrome and black handgun in the woman's side before going through her pockets and then taking her purse. The robbers fled in a dark-colored sedan.

The second robbery 5 minutes later occurred when a 21-year-old white man was walking to his apartment in the 300 block of Julia. The black robber walked up in front of him and demanded, "Get on the f*****g ground!" The robber cleaned the victim's pockets of unspecified "property". The victim gave the police a detailed description of the robber and a witness told the dispatcher the robber had fled in a silver Ford Taurus.

A short while later, 8th District detectives combing the area found 2 suspects sitting in a dark gray Ford Taurus only 2 blocks from the scene of the crimes. Arrested were Renard Provost, 20, (top) whose last known address was in Marrero, and Romalice Tate , 19, (bottom) whose last known address was in Slidell.

Provost was booked on 3 counts of armed robbery with a firearm, 2 counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of aggravated battery.

Tate was booked with 2 counts of armed robbery with a firearm.

Both were being held in Central Lockup this afternoon without bond. (That have anything to do with that "Known" couple they allegedly held up?)

Yesterday, a black boy grabbed a cellphone from a white man walking on O'Keefe Street near Howard Street about 12:45 p.m.

Officers responding to a detailed description spotted a juvenile fitting the perpetrator's description a block and a half away by the WDSU building on Howard. They noticed something in his hand and ordered him to drop it. Instead the punk took off running up Baronne Street. But he was no match for the officers who captured him at Calliope Street.

They booked the 15-year-old scamp--who coincidentally has the same last name as one of perpetrators in the previous case (you think it's a family thing?)--into the juvenile bureau.

No one caught here: Police were not so lucky in solving 3 robberies in the Lower Quarter and Marigny Triangle overnight.

Last night at 9:55 p.m. an armed robbery at Dauphine and Pauger streets hit home. We passed by there just a few hours earlier on the way to my son's to celebrate the Orthodox Christmas. We debated the safety of walking there, but we figured what could happen in 3 blocks? We did get a ride home, perhaps sparing us from becoming victims.

We're still awaiting the police report on that one.

Then this morning at 4 a.m. another armed robbery in the 1200 block of Bourbon Street was also too close for comfort. The police report is incomplete (it lists only one victim by name but mentions "victims" plural). It says the victims, one of whom was a 24-year-old white woman from Baton Rouge, were accosted by 2 black dudes, one of whom was wearing a hoodie and pulled a handgun, demanding the victims' wallets and contents of their pockets. The robbers then fled down Barracks Street.

The incomplete report gives no description of the robbers.

Another robbery reportedly occurred about 5:45 a.m. this morning in the 900 block of Barracks Street. A NOcrimeline subscriber (keep those reports coming, folks) who was on his way to run in City Park came upon the scene while cops were investigating the hold-up of "3 or 4 white males/females in their 20s or early 30s."

Police had no information yet on that crime.

Don't shoot the piano player: The piano player at Good Friends Bar, which was robbed Sunday morning, wondered "where do WE get a small chrome semi-automatic handgun (like the ones we read about every day)?"

He suggested: "I think the police ought to confiscate them from the druggies and sell them back to us dirt cheap so WE can stick it back in THEIR faces if required!"

Speaking of which: At a recent party preceding the caroling in Jackson Square to herald the birth of the prince of peace, one woman talking about recent robberies revealed, "You'd be surprised how many in this room right now are armed."

Maybe not. I hear all the time about those who have "carry" permits and go about their business in the Quarter and Triangle fully armed. One of these days the bad guys are going to mess with the wrong guy--or woman.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 1.7.08

Knew it was too good to last...

Bar bandit strikes again: The same robber who knocked over Cosimo's bar on Burgundy Street 2 weeks earlier took down the Good Friends Bar, Dauphine and St. Ann streets, Sunday morning about 7:30 a.m. A black dude wearing a faded black leather jacket laid a note on the bar, and after getting the bartender's attention, spun the note around so the bartender could read it. It said: "I have a gun don't make me shoot, just put the money in the bag."

The rest of the transaction went something like this: The bartender asked, "Are you f*****g kidding?" The robber advised him he would "blow him away." The bartender replied that he would have to shoot everyone in the bar. The robber then reached into a black bag he was holding and pulled out a chrome revolver, pointed it at the bartender and said, "Don't make me do it!"

Apparently convinced at this point that the robber meant business, the bartender went into the cash register and gave the crook all the money, an undisclosed amount. The robber fled up Dauphine to Orleans Street where he got into a small black car driven by another black guy. The car sped down Orleans to N. Rampart Street.

The perpetrator was described as 35 to 40 years old, 5'9" to 5'10" tall, weighing 150 pounds, with short hair, wearing a black T-shirt under the black leather jacket. 8th District NOPD Detective Jason Giroir, who's been run ragged with 3 other bar robberies in the past couple of weeks, recognized this robber on the video surveillance tape as the same one who hit Cosimo's on 12.23.07.

What good's video if it's not working?: The parking lot on N. Peters Street near St. Philip Street was robbed this morning at 2:40 a.m. by 2 black guys. One stuck a black semi-automatic handgun in the window of the booth, pointed at the attendant working there. She handed all the cash out in the drawer to the other robber.

Detectives investigating the case were told that the video surveillance cameras in the booth and the parking lot were not working. (Hmmm. Wait till the parking company's insurance company hears about that.)

The robbers were described as 18 years old, one 5'2" tall, weighing 125 pounds, the other 5'9" tall, weighing 140 pounds, both were wearing black hooded sweatshirts (ready-made work clothes for those in the robbing profession), one of the hoodies had a silver design on it.

No way to treat tourists: Two 23-year-old men from Ohio, in town for tonight's BCS Championship game, were robbed this morning about 4 a.m. on S. Peters Street near Notre Dame Street by 2 black guys. They were walking down S. Peters when one of the perpetrators tapped one of them on the shoulder from behind. The tourist turned around to face a small chrome semi-automatic handgun pointed at him. The robber ordered him face-first to the ground and took the victim's wallet and cellphone from his pockets. The second robber pointed a small handgun at the second victim and ordered him to give up his wallet. the robbers were described as 18 to 25 years old, one 5'10", weighing 160 pounds, wearing a white shirt, with a dark complexion and shoulder-length dreadlocks; the other 5"9", weighing 150 pounds, wearing a blue shirt with stripes.

Good idea: I recently chided some women for parking on N. Rampart Street, where they were attacked by robbers in the wee hours of the morning, which I tend to think of as the time people are staggering out of the bars. Not necessarily so, says a NOcrimeline subscriber.

"Unfortunately most of us who work in the upper Quarter have to use these parking lots," she wrote. "Many of us do not get out of work until 2 or 3 a.m. or later. Most of us have to be in work between 5 and 6 p.m." when restrictive parking regulations are still in effect, forcing them to park in these distant parking lots.

"Most of us do walk in pairs or get some guys to go along, and drive each other to our cars. Unfortunately/fortunately weapons are not allowed in the work place, so if we have them, they are in the car. If I could afford it I would take cabs all the time but most of us can not afford $20 a day for cabs."

That's the problem. Here's her solution:

"Have the cops patrol these streets where most of the people parking are working in the Quarter. That would be Conti, Bienville and Iberville along Rampart. Most of the police just hang out on Bourbon. I rarely see any foot patrols in these areas. If there was a patrol along Rampart, these areas may not be so vulnerable." (She also suggested revamping the parking regulations in the upper Quarter so workers would not have to resort to parking lots in the danger zone, but recognizes the futility of getting that done in our lifetime.)

Good topic for NONPAC: The previous subscriber's suggestion would be a good one to throw out for discussion at this week's NONPAC (New Orleans Neighborhood Policing Anti-Crime Council) meeting Thursday. The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, 1001 Toulouse St. at Burgundy Street.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 1.4.08

Where'd the crime go?

Down, way down: Amazing what adding a bunch of extra cops to the streets does to crime. It drives it down, down to an almost imperceptible level. Imagine that.

Since Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, flooded the French Quarter with extra officers in preparation for the Sugar Bowl last Tuesday and the BCS Bowl this Monday, crime has been virtually nil. Sure, there was a carjacking Thursday morning and a few piddling robberies during the week, but otherwise, almost nothing. Even car thefts were down to only 10 this week to date, and only 4 car break-ins. Amazing.

Maybe Chief Riley needs to consider getting some of those desk jockeys at headquarters off their butts (the entire population of the NOPD's Office of Public Affairs comes to mind) and onto the streets, rather than moaning that he lacks manpower. As a letter writer to the Times-Picayune maintained this week, if you keep the French Quarter--which most tourists consider to be New Orleans--clean and safe, the inflows of tourists and conventioneers will bring enough cash to upgrade other neighborhoods and services in the city. Put pressure on the city council--which controls the pursestrings--to give the NOPD the funds it needs to make this the safest city in the U.S., not perceived as the most dangerous.

Nitpicking: True, there were a lot of extra cops all over the streets. I even saw some on lower Decatur Street for the first time in a long time. But...when they go to dinner, how about sending them 2 x 2 to restaurants--rather than allowing them to congregate in groups--so they're showing more of the blue presence more places even while dining. It's all about deployment of the manpower you do have.

Sunday, 6 of them joined for dinner at Margaritaville for an hour. Monday, 4 of them dined at Louisiana Pizza Kitchen. You can't blame their choice of eateries (maybe lured by cop-friendly discounts, like the 30% at LPK).

But imagine if they split up into 2s and made their presence felt at a couple of other places, how much more visible they would have made the big blue force.

As I said, nitpicking over a fine job done all week long in the throngs of tourists.

Ugly carjacking: Just after parking a 2003 Jeep Cherokee on Dauphine Street near Esplanade Avenue at about 4:14 a.m. Thursday, 2 white women in their 20s and a white man also in his 20s were accosted from the rear by 2 black men who demanded the car keys. When they refused, the perpetrators punched 2 of the victims in the face. One of the crooks grabbed the purse from the arm of one of the victims and dumped its contents into the street where he grabbed the car keys and the woman's wallet. The 2 bandits fled up Dauphine toward Canal Street in the car.

About 5 a.m., 7th District (New Orleans East) patrol cars attempted to pull the car over for a traffic violation. The bandits fled in the car into Gentilly where it flipped over in the 5100 block of Feliciana Dr. in a residential neighborhood off Chef Menteur Highway south of Ponchartrain Park and east of the New Orleans Baptist Seminary. Both robbers escaped the vehicle and managed to elude the police and K-9 units.

The robbers are described as 18 to 22 years old, both about 5'10" tall, one weighing 140 pounds, the other 130 pounds. The heavier of the 2 was wearing blue jeans and a light jacket, and had straight permed chin-length hair. The other was wearing a brown and yellow jacket with animal designs and had short black hair.

Other robberies: A 34-year-old homeless drug addict living under the Claiborne Avenue overpass was arrested Sunday around 10:50 a.m. after trying to rob a Texas couple who had just gotten a cup of coffee at the McDonald's on Canal Street near University Place.

Joshua Blaise, a black man with a decade-long history of criminal activity including armed robbery, allegedly was begging for money from the Hispanic couple when he tried to grab the man's camera case containing his wallet. The victim threw his hot coffee on the perpetrator and a 51-year-old black citizen wrestled the assailant to the ground and held him there until police showed up.

Blaise, who admitted having a $200-a-day heroin habit, is being held on $60,000 in OPP on a charge of attempted simply robbery plus drug charges.

In another situation turned ugly, a 28-year-old white woman was surrounded by a gang of 4 or 5 black boys at Burgundy and Kerlerec streets on Monday about 1:45 p.m.

They were flirting with her, asking for her phone number and where she lived, when one of the hoodlums grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides, demanding, "Give me the money! Give me the money!"

The punks fled when an approaching truck scared them away.

For the want of a copier: Remember when we were wondering what was taking so long to get a recent crime report? Turns out that the delay was due to both copiers at the 8th District NOPD station being out of commission. Each NOPD district is responsible for its own supplies (right down to toilet paper) and services (like when the 8th's air-conditioning went out last summer).

Maybe there's someone out there with an extra copier to help the 8th District out? Or maybe someone who could take up a collection on their block or in their social circle to buy a new one for our local cops.

And for those people who are always talking about fighting crime, like Chief Riley and Councilman James Carter, they could start putting their money where their mouths are.

The real stars: NOcrimeline has gotten some good publicity this week on a couple of TV news programs for its new webpage, NOcrimeline.com .

But the real heroes of this effort are Capt. Hosli for embracing this experimental program, Lt. Eddie Selby for supplying information on a timely basis, and Ofc. Brian Shubert for doing the hard-lifting of sending NOcrimeline the crime map daily and all the reports I bug him for. Without their continued cooperation, you wouldn't have all the information about crime you're getting.

That's one of the reason's why other districts don't have a program like this; another reason is the lack of effort on the part of NOPD headquarters.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 12.29.07

Crime doesn't take a holiday...

Crime of loveless passion: You've probably heard by now that a suspect has been arrested in the murder yesterday of a prostitute under the Toulouse Street Wharf where police said they had gone to have sex amid the refuse after meeting in a bar.

NOPD homicide detectives arrested David Q. Davis, 30, for allegedly bludgeoning Elizabeth Chapman, 25, to death about 3:30 a.m. yesterday morning. She was found by a homeless man about 4 a.m. Davis, who has no known address, was apprehended in the 1200 block of Kerlerec Street, a block the other side of N. Rampart Street. Both the victim and the alleged murderer are white, for those of you who wanted to know.

Davis is being held in OPP without bond on a charge of first-degree murder. By rights, he could have been sitting in prison at the time of the crime after pleading guilty just over 2 weeks earlier on Dec. 11 to a charge of burglary. Judge Lynda Van Davis sentenced him to 3 years in prison, then suspended the sentence and put him on probation. It didn't take him long to violate his probation.

See? Smoking's bad for you: A 26-year-old black woman was standing on the corner of Bienville and Clinton streets smoking a cigarette at 1:10 a.m. Friday when a white guy walked over from a group of 2 other white guys and asked her for a light. When she attempted to give him a light, he grabbed her purse from her shoulder and fled with his buddies. The purse contained $540.

She flagged down a NOPD officer who later apprehended the trio, all of whom she was able to identify. Arrested were:

• Michael Daigrepont, 29, of Lacombe.
  
• Aaron Naquin, 24, of Lacombe.
  
• Richard Rospiershi, 27, of Indiana.
  

All were charged with simple robbery. The 2 Lacombe men are being held in OPP on a $20,000 bond each and the out-of-stater is being held on $30,000.

Hurray for pepper spray: Two local white women, one 20 years old and the other 21, who live in the 2500 block of N. Rampart Street, where walking in the 1000 block of Conti Street on the way to their car parked on N. Rampart (Come on! You live here, you should know that's no place to park!) at 3:30 a.m. Friday morning when they were attacked by 4 to 6 black girls in their late teens or early 20s who attempted to steal their purses from their shoulders.

One of the victims pulled away when her attacker pulled a knife and took out her pepper spray to spray the attacker. The other girl pulled away when she saw her assailant take out a handgun. Both victims took off running with the black girls in pursuit. The victims got to their car and drove to the 1st District NOPD station on N. Rampart and reported the attack.

No match: The suspect arrested for robbing John Paul's bar last Sunday night is apparently not connected to the robberies of Cosimo's bar the same night or The John bar 2 nights later. The bartender at The John said Terrell L. Anderson is definitely not the guy who robbed her. The detective viewing the surveillance tape at Cosimo's reportedly said that it was not Anderson in that video. Anderson is suspected of other robberies Uptown.

What his means, of course, is that a robber with a fondness for alcoholic dispensaries is on the loose for the holiday season. Just another think to beware of while imbibing.

Beware of skinheads: A NOcrimeline subscriber warns of 2 young white males in their 20s, which he described as "skinheads", cruising the Lower Quarter in a large older model black pickup truck. He encountered them in the early morning hours around 5:30 a.m. near the Dog Park (okay, Cabrini Playground for you purists).

"They peered at me as they passed--if you have ever been pinpointed as a potential victim you will know what this glare looks like." he reported. "They pulled up about 1/2 block in front of me and waited for me to approach. I crossed the street and pulled out my cellphone and let them know by my actions that I was dialing 911."

Police scoured the area but failed to find the suspicious duo.

Happy New Year, none the less: Gang of girls gone wild, barroom robbers, skinheads...beware of them all as you welcome in the new year.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

A homicide after all

First one: Unless I lost count, the 8th District almost escaped 2007 without recording a murder within the borders of the French Quarter, Marigny Triangle and CBD. But early this morning, that changed.

A woman was found bludgeoned to death around 4 a.m. about 100 feet under the Toulouse Street Wharf near St. Louis Street at the riverfront in the French Quarter. Her body was found by a homeless man. She was described as white, in her 20s, about 5'4" tall, weighing 120 pounds, with black shoulder-length hair, and a red-and-blue "flying fairy" tattoo on her back. She may have also been homeless.

The homicide squad has taken over the case and an autopsy was due to be performed today.

Bar robber bagged: An 8th District detective has linked an Uptown robber with the armed robbery of John Paul's bar on Sunday night and say he's a possible suspect in 2 other bar robberies, Cosimo's on Sunday night and The John on Christmas night.

Charged yesterday with armed robbery with a firearm was Terrell Anderson, 18, whose last known address was 2323 Magnolia St. He had been arrested the day after Christmas for other robberies Uptown by 2nd District officers. 8th District detective Jason Giroir noted the similarity in the description posted by the 2nd District with the description the bartender gave in the John Paul's robbery. He showed a photo line-up to the bartender who positively identified Anderson.

Anderson is being held in OPP on $270,000 bond. Thanks to the now-deposed Eddie Jordan, Anderson was running free after twice this year Jordan failed to haul him into court for possession of narcotics with intent to distribute. Anderson was arrested about this time last year--when he was only 17--with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and sat in OPP on $2 million bond until the court released him in May on an Article 701 when Jordan couldn't get his act together to prosecute him. Charges brought in March, when Anderson was still 17, for possession with intent to distribute heroin were also 701'd in May.

Let's hope the new DA puts this guy away before he really hurts someone.

The robbery at The John bar, 2040 Burgundy St. at the corner of Frenchmen Street, happened much as the other 2 recent bar robberies did; it was quiet and patrons in the bar didn't know the robbery happened until after the robber had fled. On Christmas night, about 11:30 p.m. as the bartender at The John was taking out the trash, the robber approached her with a black semi-automatic handgun and walked back inside with her. He demanded the money hidden inside the microwave and she complied. He made her hide in the restroom while he fled.

Roaming gangs?: We've received 2 disturbing reports from NOcrimeline subscribers about gangs of roving black teenagers stirring up trouble in the Quarter. We haven't been able to verify the information with NOPD reports, but here's what we hear:

The day after Christmas (presumably in the early morning hours), the manager of Cafe Lafitte In Exile, 901 Bourbon St. at Dumaine Street, "was leaving the bar when a group of 7 or 8 black men and 2 black women attacked him outside the bar. He tried to get back in the bar, but they dragged him back outside. At this point the 2 bartenders on duty ran out to help him.

"The 2 black women then ran into the bar and attacked one of the patrons. One of the thugs ran in the front door and grabbed a bar stool and ran out with it to attack someone. He then ran back into the bar with the stool over his head as if he was going to attack someone else. The thugs were yelling things like 'You whites will not take over this city' and 'Black Power!'

"The police arrived in minutes. Some of the thugs fled while others stayed. The manager of the bar was arrested as was one of the patrons who was trying to describe what happened. All but one of the thugs was arrested."

The subscriber who reported this later said only one person was arrested. He met with Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, today to clarify the situation. We will keep trying to get the report after the investigation is completed.

In the other report, the subscriber said a group of 6 to 8 black teenagers were "molesting and threatening" a man yesterday in the early evening at Gov. Nicholls and Burgundy streets. Again, we have no police report on that, but will keep checking.

Finally, Le Richelieu: The long-awaited report on the armed robbery at Le Richelieu Hotel, 1234 Chartres St., more than a week ago on 12.20.07 begs the question of "what took so long?"

According to the report, a black man entered through the front door about 4:45 a.m. armed with a chrome handgun and demanded money from the desk clerk. The clerk unlocked the cash drawer and the robber walked behind the counter and removed the money. He fled out the front door.

There was no mention of how much was stolen, but an earlier report from a NOcrimeline subscriber said $900 was taken and that there were 2 black men who pulled off the heist.

The robber was described as 5'10" tall, weighing 160 pounds, wearing dark colored pants and shirt with a blue bandanna over his face.

Sound familiar?: In another report that was a long time coming, 4 local residents were robbed at 11:10 p.m. last Friday (12.21.07) at Burgundy and Barracks streets by 2 black men. One pulled a black semi-automatic handgun with a chrome slide and demanded "Gimme what you got!" The victims--2 men 22 years old, 1 man 29 years old, and an 18-year-old woman, all white--complied and the robbers fled with the men's wallets and the woman's purse.

Both perpetrators were described as 19-25 years old, one 5'4" tall, weighing 140 pounds, the other 5'10" tall with no weight estimated.

First District NOPD officers stopped a man matching the description of the gunman shortly after the robbery at N. Villere and St. Philip streets but released him after checking for warrants.

Two nights later, on Sunday, a suspect using a gun matching the description of the one used in this robbery, was arrested for 2 robberies in the same neighborhood, one in the 900 block of Barracks Street and the other in the 900 block of Gov. Nicholls, both just before 9 p.m. It is not known if 8th District detectives have linked that suspect, Alvin Berfect, 18, to this robbery.

***

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

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.

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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.

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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