Oh so sloooow justice...

Or fast, depending: Nearly one year to the date, Ronald J. Martin finally pled guilty to robbing Greg and Belinda Huber in a vicious incident 2.28.07 in the 900 block of Gov. Nicholls Street.

That case was monumental in the birth of NOcrimeline. Due to the misinformation and lack of information surrounding the incident, the need for facts fast was evident. The need for NOcrimeline was evident.

Martin, 31, pled guilty Monday to 2 counts of second-degree robbery and 1 count of second-degree battery. Judge Camille Buras sentenced Martin to 10 years in prison on the robbery charges and 5 years for battery, to be served concurrent with the robbery sentence.

According to the police report, the victims were walking in the 900 block of Gov. Nicholls about 1 a.m. when a black man got out of an older model white sedan and came up to them. The assailant struck Greg Huber several times in the face and then began to hit Belinda Huber in the face until she also fell to the ground. The suspect then took the female victim's purse, got back in his vehicle and fled.

Detective Nick Gernon developed Martin as a suspect and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Martin,who was from Westwego, was apprehended by Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputies on 3.13.07.

One down, oh so many more to go. Let's see how long this bad ass stays off our streets and out of our worries.

More to go: Just as one robber is convicted of robbery in the 900 block of Gov. Nicholls, another occurs.

On Saturday morning, around 12:30 a.m., a 30-year-old white man riding his bicycle at the intersection of Gov. Nicholls and Dauphine streets was tackled by 3 black dudes. One produced a handgun and demanded his money. The victim surrendered his wallet and cellphone.

The only description of the perps was that they were wearing all black.

Not all things as they seem: NOcrimeline often gets inquiries about such and such a crime that occurred and wonder why there's no mention of it in our reports. Case in point:

We had several people inquire about the "burglary" at the home of a friend of theirs in the 1200 block of Royal Street. She awoke about 3 a.m. on 2.18.08 to a man banging on her door, demanding that she open the door, and threatening that he was going to get her. He kept banging on the stained glass window in the front door until a piece of it broke and he smashed his fist through the door.

Now she's not the kind to entertain that sort of gentleman caller, so she called 911 and her neighbors. Both responded quickly. But when she went to the 8th District station the next day to see what had happened with this intruder, she got a bit of runaround until Maj. Edwin Hosli put her in touch with Sgt. Luther Lumpkin, who heads the 8th District's property crimes squad. He assured her that the perpetrator was charged with public drunkenness, trespassing and criminal damage to property.

Not a "burglary", but a crime resolved to the citizen's satisfaction nevertheless.

Then in other cases: A woman who witnessed a ruckus at Chartres and Conti streets on 2.16.08 at about 2 a.m. in which the police responded with "upwards of 25 cars/horses" wondered what the hubbub was.

I don't know. It appears on the crime map as an "aggravated assault" in which an arrest was made. But it's another one of those reports since Mardi Gras that we haven't been able to pry out of the 8th District.

Gunshots fall on deaf ears: At least 2 NOcrimeline suscribers whose judgment I trust reported an identical incident of hearing gunshots in the early morning after Mardi Gras ended. One lives in the 1000 block of St. Peter Street and the other in the 900 block. Both reported hearing 8 to 10 gunshots shortly after 5 a.m. One reported the exact time as 5:05 a.m.

911 was called and police responded 3 minutes later. Officers found no shell casings or blood. Maj.Hosli had no idea what the situation was about.

More dissatisfied tourists: Another subscriber reported house guests who had an unpleasant experience on Bourbon Street this past weekend. A young man (I would guess in his 20s) was badly beaten and bruised by 3 black men and his wife was attacked by some black girls.

Asked by their hostess if they reported it to the police, the couple said there were several cops right in the vicinity who did nothing. The woman said one cop was Vietnamese who said he could do anything because the thugs would beat him up too.

"They said they will never come back to New Orleans," the subscriber said. "You hear stories, but this happened to my company and I'm speechless. What good is a large police presence if the policemen just stand there?

This subscriber's a regular fixture at NONPAC meetings, so Maj. Hosli can expect an earful at the next meeting.

Missing from Mardi Gras: A man missing after a night of partying on Mardi Gras almost sounds like a joke, a bad experience that endures after the revelry.

But in this case, the family of John Delatte, 28 and the father of 3 with another on the way, believes his disappearance was caused by someone else. Delatte brought his family from Texas to New Orleans, where they used to live, the day before Mardi Gras.

On Mardi Gras night, he went to Razzoo Bar & Patio, 511 Bourbon St., to meet with a bartender he knew there. He left there between 10 and 11 p.m.

His ATM card was used 4 times nearby (DejaVu, Rio, Double Play, and 432 Bourbon) for $50 to $100 transactions, the last being about 5 a.m. on Ash Wednesday.

He was last seen wearing a black LSU T-shirt, dark tan khaki shorts, brown leather belt, ankle socks and blue/white/grey Nike tennis shoes.

His vehicle is also missing: a 2004 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer, all red/burgundy, bumpers, grill, and side step also red/burgundy with brushed nickel rims and luggage rack. Texas license plate 9VWM87.

Additional information is availble at the family's search site: www.bringjohnhome.com

You wonder how seriously the NOPD--or any police department--takes these cases. The family is under the impression the case is being investigated by Det. Jason Giroir of the 8th District. The trouble is, the Homicide Division investigates all missing persons cases, according to Maj. Hosli.

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


Thom Kahler