'Bandanna Bandit' terrorizes the French Quarter

3 robberies in 20 minutes: A black bandit wearing a red bandanna over his face pulled off 3 stick-ups early Friday morning. One victim described him as 16 to 20 years old with a light complexion. The victims described him as between 5'3" to 5'9" tall, weighing 145 to 150 pounds. In each case, they said he had medium length dreadlocks to his shoulders, and was wearing a dark-colored shirt and baggy pants--and the red bandanna over his face.

Here's what happened where and when:

• 12:05 a.m., Friday (4.11.08), 900 block of Chartres Street (between Dumaine and St. Philip streets): A white man (the police report didn't give his age or residence) was walking on Chartres when a black guy walking in front of him suddenly turned around and pointed a pistol at him, demanding money. The victim complied and the robber fled on foot.

• 12:10 a.m., Friday (4.11.08), 900 block of Ursulines Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets): A white woman (again, the police report didn't give her age or residence) was walking on Ursulines when a black guy approached her, pulled out a pistol and demanded money. The victim ran into a nearby business and the would-be robber fled.

• 12:25 a.m., Friday (4.11.08), 1100 block of Bourbon Street (between Gov. Nicholls and Ursulines streets): 2 white men (once again, the police report didn't give their ages or residence) were approached by the same black guy with a gun who demanded their money. The victims dropped their wallets on the ground and fled.

It's scary to think this bandit could prowl an area slightly larger than 6 blocks for more than a half hour and not encounter a cop in all that time. It's scarier still when you consider he could be out there again tonight with all the tourists in town for the French Quarter Festival. Beware and be careful out there.

They let him out too soon: Remember the dude who nearly got his you-know-what shot off when he tried to rob a couple earlier this week when the would-be victim took out his own gun and got 4 shots off at the would-be robber? Bruce Jones spent only a few hours at OPP before he bonded out Wednesday on minor charges of aggravated assault and carrying a concealed weapon.

Now 8th District detectives say Jones, 26, is one of 2 black guys who robbed the convenience store at Dauphine and St. Louis streets in broad daylight 3 weeks ago and issued a warrant for his arrest yesterday. A day late and a dollar short, as they say.

In that incident on 3.24.08, one of the bandits had a red bandanna over his face (hmmm, where did we hear that before?) and walked to the counter while his buddy loitered in the doorway around 8:30 a.m. The masked bandit had his hand covered by a newspaper, implying he had a gun, and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk thwarted the robbery when she activated the silent alarm and then grabbed a stick from behind the counter and chased the 2 thugs out of the store. The bad guys hopped into a red Pontiac Grand Am or Grand Prix which fled down St. Louis toward N. Rampart Street.

Jones, the suspect with the red bandanna, was described as 20 to 25 years old, 5'6" tall, weighing 150 pounds. His accomplice was described as also 20 to 25 years old, 6'1" tall, weighing 165 pounds. Both are still at large.

They caught another one: 8th District detectives arrested Christopher S. Hughes, 24, last night for armed robbery. He's being held in OPP on $100,000 bond.

He is charged in the robbery of a white couple who were walking in the 1000 block of Bienville Street (between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets) last Sunday (4.6.08) at 3:30 a.m. They were approached from behind by 3 black men. One pulled a pistol and demanded money. The victims complied, handing over cash and the woman's purse.

The gunman was described as in his 20s, 5'10" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with should-length dreadlocks, wearing a yellow shirt. There was no description of his accomplices, who remain at large.

Hurray, hurray: You don't hear too often of suspects being arrested for breaking into cars, but Officer Claud Daniel bagged 2 of them this morning at 12 a.m. for car burglary at 809 Iberville St. (between Bourbon and Dauphine streets). Arrested were 2 black men: Curtis Landon (left), 20, and Rasheed Williams (right), 22. Each was charged with 2 counts of simple burglary.

Let the jury, not the cops, decide: We lamented the other day that it was a shame the cops couldn't find something stronger than "aggravated assault" to charge a guy with when he pulls a gun on you but doesn't shoot or rob you.

Now an attorney, who says he ran the DA's office for 3 years and represented it for 24 years after that, charges the cops are just being too timid in charging suspects.

"When a guy pulls a gun out on you in the middle of the night, what would a jury conclude just on the face of it? Armed robbery attempt or murder attempt, not an assault," the attorney claims. "The fact is that any cop worth his salt would have booked him with aggravated assault and attempted armed robbery and let the lawyers (prosecutors) sort it out later.

"Since when are the cops so concerned with over-booking people, especially when he has a gun?" he asks. "I never have known the cops to be so damned timid and interested in fine legal questions."

It does make you wonder, doesn't it? Shouldn't a lieutenant, or at least a sergeant, have been on the scene in the Jones case to figure out all the ways they could throw the book at that scumbag? Then maybe he would have still been in jail when they wanted to arrest him after they figured out he was the perpetrator in the store armed robbery.

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

Thom Kahler

He's out! Gun still in

Surprise, surprise: The guy a citizen had to take down with his own weapon Tuesday morning (4.8.08) to keep from getting robbed bonded out of the slammer yesterday afternoon (4.9.08) and is on the streets again. Bruce Jones, 26--who's lucky to be alive after 4 laser-guided shots from the citizen's gun missed his sorry black self--was only charged with aggravated assault and carrying a concealed weapon, and was jailed on a total of $6,000 bond on both charges.

You'd think there would be some sort of stiffer charge the police could bring against a guy who comes at you with "a very large gun". Those 2 charges brought against Jones only merit 6 months in jail upon conviction, and considering how judges let sentences run concurrently rather than consecutively, time off for good behavior, etc., this guy's only going to get a slap on the wrist at best.

The technicality is that if the victim had given Jones time to ask for money, then it could have been considered a robbery and he could have gotten a minimum of 15 years for armed robbery with a firearm. The lesson is that when a cop asks you if the perp demanded money, your answer should be "yes", even though you might have pulled out your Smith & Wesson instead of your wallet.

The NOcrimeline subscriber's gun was confiscated by the NOPD after he fired it at Jones when Jones allegedly came at him early Tuesday morning in the 500 block of Burgundy and pulled a handgun. The citizen said the police called him today and told him that "arresting my gun was a mistake" and that he could pick it up at any time. But the citizen had already bought another gun, vowing never to walk the streets of the French Quarter again unarmed.

Another arrest: 8th District detectives yesterday arrested a suspect in a robbery in that same notorious 500 block of Burgundy on 3.2.08. Charged with armed robbery was Gregory Hughes, 35, a black guy, 6'1" tall, weighing 180 pounds. He was positively identified in a photo lineup by the white victim who was walking down the street at 11:25 p.m. when he was robbed by a black guy with a pistol. Hughes is being held on $100,000 bond in OPP. See the difference?

Another one goes free: The District Attorney refused Monday (4.7.08) to prosecute a charge of possession of Ecstasy with intent to distribute against Dennis M. Manieri Jr. Manieri, 21, was arrested by 8th District officers on 3.27.08 at 11:28 p.m. at the corner of Frenchmen and Decatur streets.

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

Thom Kahler

Victim fights back--and wins against bad guy

It's about time: A NOcrimeline subscriber turned the tables on a would-be crook early Tuesday morning by outgunning the punk and firing 4 shots at him.

He was accosted in the 500 block of Burgundy Street (between St. Louis and Toulouse streets) about 12:30 a.m. 4.8.08 by a "young black male who came straight at me (and) reached under his shirt and started to point a very large gun at me," he told NOcrimeline.

"Having just escaped a robbery attempt on me and my friend on Bienville Street just last week between Burgundy and Dauphine streets, I had on me a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver with a laser site," he explained. "I pointed my gun at the robber and fired 4 shots. He ran and dropped his gun on the sidewalk. He laid face down in the gutter and asked me not to shoot him. Holding my gun on him with one hand, I called the police with the other hand."

Officers arrived quickly and, in their crimefighting zeal, handcuffed both the bad guy and the good guy. They later released the would-be victim and arrested Bruce Jones, 26, and charged him with aggravated assault and for carrying a concealed weapon.

He's being held in OPP on only $3,000 bond on each charge, so let's see how long he stays off the streets. The NOPD didn't report where he lived, but I know he's no neighbor of mine. If he does get out, you know what the 5'6" tall, 140-pound twerp looks like.

The guy's got a history with the NOPD going back to when he was 19. Back in 2001, he skipped out on a $20,000 bond after pleading guilty to possession of crack cocaine. And I didn't go to law school so I can't figure out how a guy can be convicted of "first offense" marijuana possession twice, as Jones was. In 2001, a jury found him guilty on that charge and he got 66-days in OPP but with credit for time served, he walked free. Then in 2006, Jones pled guilty to the same offense for another arrest and got a 90-day suspended sentence. Is that what they mean by "justice is blind"?

Since the police confiscated his weapon (so much for the Second Amendment), the would-be victim says, "Now I am going to the gun shop tomorrow to purchase another gun, as my gun is being held for a unknown period of time. I will never walk the streets for any reason unarmed again!" (Be sure to get that sight properly aligned this time.)

Armed robberies abound: Despite all the crackdowns, robberies continue to plague the French Quarter. Be sure to warn your guests and clients coming for French Quarter Fest this weekend and for JazzFest in a couple of weeks. It's downright scary out there. Here's what's gone down:

• Tuesday (4.8.08), 1:55 a.m.: A white couple (again, no ages or residences reported by the 8th District) walking in the 900 block of Dumaine Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets) when they were accosted by 2 black boys. One pulled a gun and demanded money. The victim's surrendered the woman's purse and the man's wallet.

The robbers fled on Dumaine, turning on Dauphine toward Canal Street. The one was described as 5'9" tall, with long dreadlocks, wearing a blue shirt and brown shorts. The other had short hair and was wearing dark clothing.

• Tuesday (4.8.08), 2:05 a.m.: Just 10 minutes later and one block over a similar robbery occurred as 2 white women (again, no ages or residences reported by the 8th District) were walking in the 900 block of St. Philip (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets) when 2 black boys accosted them. One pulled a pistol and demanded their money. The victims complied and surrendered their purses containing cash.

The robbers fled on St. Philip toward the river. They were both described as in their late teens, 5'5" tall, weighing 120 pounds. (Didn't we see these "twins" before, described in a robbery last week?). One had shoulder-length dreadlocks, was wearing a black hat (ball cap, fedora, what?) and blue shirt (T-shirt, button-down collar, what?). The other had a dark complexion.

• Monday (4.7.08), 10 p.m.: 2 white women were walking in the 800 block of St. Peter Street (between Bourbon and Dauphine streets) when they were approached by a lone black gunman who demanded money. They complied, giving up one of the victim's purses.

Police later arrested a 22-year-old black man, 5'7" tall and 140 pounds. The name the police listed can't be verified through courts records. But considering the police report said he fled on Orleans Street when the robbery supposedly happened on St. Peter, another error comes as no surprise.

NONPAC tomorrow night: A good chance to tell Maj. Hosli what you think of his direct crime reports. Or to ask him why he doesn't make the victims human by giving their ages and where they live. Or ask him why he confiscated a citizen's gun. The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Thursday (4.10.08) at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, 1001 Toulouse St. (at Burgundy Street)--right where the citizen shot at the robber.

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

Thom Kahler

What good's it do for the NOPD to arrest them when the DA just lets them go again?

Running the streets again: You might remember 5 people getting shot on Canal Street just after the Endymion Parade early in February. And you might remember the cops quickly grabbed 2 suspects almost immediately due to the huge contingent of officers right there near Baronne Street, including some top NOPD brass.

Yesterday (4.7.08), District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson refused to prosecute either one of them. The 2 dudes arrested in that dispute and charged with 5 counts of attempted first-degree murder, Bryson McDonald, (left), 18, and Inassio Farria, (right), 17, were freed Saturday (4.5.08) and are on the street again.

Supposedly 2 of the victims were in a verbal altercation when the 2 suspects opened fire, hitting 3 men, ages 17, 18, and 19, and 2 women, ages 22 and 24. They were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening wounds.

Beats one rap: Michael A. Lewis, (right), 20, who was arrested in January for robbing a 39-year-old white man of his cellphone in the 700 block of S. Peters Street, had that charge dropped 3.27.08 by the DA. But she still has him charged for 3 other armed robberies Uptown along with his allegedly accomplices, Terrell D. Richards, 18, and Austin Montgomery, 20.

Cops don't fare well: In 2 cases in which cops were attacked, the DA reduced the charges. She should have thrown the book at them:

• Kyle S. Brown, 22, was originally charged with attempted murder of a police officer in January. That charge was reduced on 3.28.08 to aggravated assault with a firearm on a peace officer.
  

Brown allegedly emerged from his car with a handgun at 4:15 a.m. on 1.27.08 and walked toward 2 Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff's deputies who were working a private detail in a parking lot at the foot of Conti Street near the riverfront. The deputies told him to drop his gun, but he refused and allegedly pointed it at them, at which point one deputy fired his weapon, hitting Brown who was hospitalized in critical condition. He has since been released and bonded out of OPP to live in Mississippi.

• Jeffery Struve, 33, who was originally arrested in early December on a whole slew of charges for giving the cops a bad time--resisting an officer, 2 counts of battery on a police officer, and disarming a police officer--had those charges reduced by the DA to one charge of "attempt" to disarm a police officer. He pled guilty last month to the lone reduced charge and Judge Raymond Bigelow let him off with a 30-month suspended sentence and 2 years probation.
  

It started with a brush-up over a credit card at 1234 Royal St. at 12:21 a.m. 12.3.08 during which Struve 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.

The judge is who Horton heard: Driskill Horton, who might be best described as the thirsty thief, will be drinking Kool-Aid for a while in the cooler.

After the DA bargained down 3 charges of burglary of a business and 3 charges of possession of stolen goods to a single charge of simple burglary, Horton entered an "Alford plea" last month in which he did not admit the act and asserted his innocence, but admits that sufficient evidence exists with which the prosecution could likely convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison by Judge Terry Alarcon.

8th District cops arrested Horton, a 43-year-old white guy, in June 2007 for a series of 3 business burglaries. He was linked to early morning break-ins at La Peniche restaurant, 1940 Dauphine St., the Pelican Club restaurant, 312 Exchange Alley, and the Esplanade Mini-Mart, 839 Esplanade Ave.

The MO was similarly simple in each case. The burglar always came in the front way and left the same way, breaking through the front door in 2 cases and a picture window in the other. Nothing was reported missing from La Peniche, but the burglar took 2 bottles of rum valued at $20 from the Pelican Club and took a bottle of Bacardi Superior Rum valued at $22.99 and a bottle of Ketel One vodka valued at $29.99 from the Mini-Mart.

What may have done him in was the video at the Mini-Mart which showed a white male, with green shirt and dark pants, break the glass door, enter the store, take the 2 bottles of liquor and before exiting--"one white cup"--according to the police report.

Lucky convict: The thief who attacked and robbed a tourist in the lobby of the LeRichelieu Hotel in April last year was glad to get off with only 7 years in prison.

Tyrone J. Barnes, a 42-year-old black man, pled guilty to the simple robbery charge 3.25.08 when the DA agreed not to charge him as a repeat offender, which could have landed him in prison for life. He was previously arrested for armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, theft, and possession of stolen property.

The victim and his wife, from California, were standing on the front porch of the LeRichelieu at 1234 Chartres St. at 6 a.m. on 4.18.07, waiting for a cab to take them to the airport. The perpetrator approached the victim from the rear and applied a neck hold with one arm. He stuck his other hand in the victim's pocket. The victim resisted and their struggle carried them through the front entrance of the hotel into the lobby where they fell to the floor.

The perpetrator was attempting to pull free, but the victim was holding the thief's hand in his pocket to prevent him from taking his money. In an attempt to break free, the thief began to bite the victim. A hotel employee pulled the assailant from the victim. As he was pulled away, the robber held on to approximately $250 from the victim's pocket. He retained possession of the money and fled. The victim sustained severe bite wounds to his back and both arms.

In fleeing, the robber dropped his own wallet with his driver's license in it, which made tracking down Barnes oh so much easier.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH: Yes, a few of the guys listed above went to the slammer--after District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson reduced their charges so much that they would have been crazy not to take the deal. But she also let an awfully lot of them go for whatever reason.

If the cops don't have enough evidence after tracking down a suspect for crime, the DA needs to work with them to develop the substantial proof she needs for the case. If she's not doing that, she's not a functioning member of the criminal justice system.

She likes to pat herself on the back for virtually eliminating "701" releases that were so prevalent under her predecessor. That only means she's making decisions whether or not to charge someone in the 60-day time frame allotted by law. In too many cases, she's making the wrong decision in refusing to prosecute cases. Who is she to be judge and jury? If she can't develop a case to take the defendant to court and let the jury decide, she's not much of an attorney.

In my book, she's not much of an improvement over the last disaster of a district attorney. When I mention we need someone who's a "junk yard dog" who will go after the bad guys with a vengeance, the name repeatedly barked at me is Ralph Capitelli, who's now a defense attorney and was once first assistant to former DA Harry Connick. I haven't heard him snarl yet, but can he growl as well as U.S. Attorney Jim Letten or the FBI's local man in charge, Jim Bernazzani?

If we want to reform the criminal justice system in this city, we've got the opportunity to begin it for real this fall with the election of a new DA. Let's not be too quick to anoint any one candidate yet; we made that mistake in 2002 when we thought Eddie Jordan was the messiah. Let's scrutinize enough "junk yard dogs" so we get it right this time.

Then we can reform it even more when we find a new police chief after we get rid of the missing mayor in 2010.

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

Thom Kahler

Crackdown continues

More rounded up: Lt. Eddie Selby and his 8th District Task Force continued their roundup of bad guys off the streets of the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle last Friday, following earlier raids on 4.2.08 and 3.27.08.

On Friday (4.4.08):

• 8:45 p.m., 2040 Royal St.: Arrested Alex Capers, (right), 38, black, arrested for trespassing and a narcotics violation.

• 9 p.m., Ursulines and Chartres streets: Arrested Travis Price, 19, black, for 2 out-of-parish warrants and one state warrant.

• 10:45 p.m., Bieville and N. Rampart streets: Arrested Jesse Akmin, (right), 20, black, for a narcotics violation. Also arrested, on trespassing charges, were Kendall Williams, 18, black, and Kenric Wilson, 21, black.

On Saturday (4.5.08):

• 6:30 p.m., at N. Rampart and Toulouse streets: 8th District officers Angela Joanos and Jerry Stapler arrested Austin Washington, 22, black, for possession of narcotics.

Some have criticized the recent crackdowns as trivial, that the cops should be going after bigger fish. But you never know when taking the bad guys off the streets, even for minor infractions, might have prevented a major crime.

Last piece of the puzzle: 8th District detectives have issued a warrant for the arrest of Dornelius Brown in the last of 4 armed that happened in a 20-minute span early last month in the French Quarter. He was earlier charged with the other 3.

The final one he's charged with is one at 9:15 p.m. on 3.5.08, where a white man, 28, walking in the 600 block of St. Peter Street (between Chartres and Royal streets) was approached by a black man who produced a chrome-plated handgun and demanded money. The victim backed away from the perpetrator, who then fled on foot.

When the arrests will be made on those warrants is uncertain. The feds have Brown, 18, for the heist of the Capital One Bank on St. Charles Avenue in Uptown on 3.7.08.

Speaking of armed robbery: A white couple, walking in the 1000 block of Bienville Street, on Sunday (4.6.08) at 3:30 a.m. (you have to be from out of town to be crazy enough to do that) were approached from behind by 3 black dudes. One pulled a pistol and demanded money. The victims complied, handing over cash and the woman's purse. The 3 perpetrators fled on foot on Bienville toward N. Rampart Street.

The gunman was described as in his 20s, 5'10" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with should-length dreadlocks, wearing a yellow shirt. There was no description of the other 2 thugs.

Dressed to kill: A white guy who obviously doesn't handle rejection well, cut a woman with a knife when she refused his offer to buy her a drink. The woman, no age reported by the NOPD (but you can bet she wasn't one of our mothers), was walking on Frenchmen Street toward Burgundy Street at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday (4.5.08) when she was approached by a white dude, 5'10" tall, with eye and nose piercings, wearing a green plaid shirt and black fedora. He slashed her (again the police report offers no detail) when she refused his advances.

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

Thom Kahler

Round'em up, head'em out to OPP

Whoa doggies!: Don't know if I've seen anything like it in the year NOcrimeline's been in existence, or maybe just never got the report on it. But 8th District Task Force officers swooped down on the French Quarter in the past week and took a bunch of bad guys off the streets. Applaud these efforts:

Thursday (3.27.08):

• 11:10 p.m.: Officers Richard Valley and Jonathan Rivet arrested 2 black dudes for narcotics violations in the 1000 block of Toulouse Street (between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets):

• Jeffery Graves, 31, 6'1" tall, weighing 205 pounds, was arrested charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He's being held in Orleans Parish Prison on $25,000 bond. The DA had just cut him loose in February after he'd been charged with possession of a stolen auto in January.

• Michael Harper, 44, 5'10" tall, 180 pounds, was charged with first offense possession of marijuana, which is dubious since he pled guilty in 1999 to the same charge. Apparently the 4 months he spent in OPP for that offense didn't register with him. Apparently he made the $2,500 bond on the new charge since they don't have him at OPP.

• 11:28 p.m.: Officers Richard James Lipscomb and Charles Stamps arrested a white guy at the corner of Frenchmen and Decatur streets. He is Dennis M. Manieri Jr., 21, 5'11" tall, 150 pounds, and is charged with possession with intent to distribute Ecstasy. He's sitting in OPP in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Tuesday (4.2.08):

• 9:10 p.m.: Task Force officers arrested a black guy, Richard Thornton, 29, at N. Rampart and Ursulines streets for public drunkenness and criminal trespass and discovered he had several municipal attachments.

• 9:23 p.m.: Task Force officers arrested another black guy, Terry Gibson, 31, at N. Rampart and Ursulines streets for public drunkenness and found he had a outstanding warrant for his arrest from Jefferson Parish.

• 9:23 p.m.: Task Force officers arrested a white guy, Joseph E. Booth, 41, at Dauphine and St. Louis streets (a dreaded drug corner, according to neighbors) and charged him with possession of heroin. He is being held on $5,000 bond at OPP.

Only 2 weeks prior, the DA had refused to prosecute him on charges of possession of crack cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia; 2 years earlier the DA refused to prosecute him for possession of cocaine. How many chances do you need, white boy?

Speaking of bad guys: The black dude 8th District detectives accuse of 3 of the 4 armed robberies in a 20-minute span a month ago in the French Quarter has now been charged by the feds with bank robbery.

Dornelius Brown, 18, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday (4.3.08) for the stick-up of the Capital One Bank on St. Charles Avenue in Uptown on 3.7.08. He made off with $7,850. The FBI caught up with him on 3.28.08. Not sure where he's being held, but the NOPD says he's in custody in Tangipahoa Parish. Go figure.

The NOPD has issued warrants for Brown's arrest in 3 armed robberies the night of 3.5.08. The robbery spree began at 9:05 p.m. when a white man, 29, walking on Royal Street near Orleans Avenue was robbed by a black man brandishing a chrome-plated handgun.

Then 7 minutes later and 7 blocks away at 9:12 p.m., a white man, 22, was walking in the 900 block of Bienville Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets) when he was robbed by a black man with a chrome-plated handgun.

At 9:24 p.m., a white man, 34, walking in the 1000 block of Dauphine Street (between Ursulines and St. Philip streets) was approached by a black male with a chrome-plated handgun who demanded his money. The victim refused and the perpetrator fired his gun, striking the victim once in the leg.

The only one of the 4 robberies that night that Brown hasn't been charged with is one at 9:15 p.m., where a white man, 28, walking in the 600 block of St. Peter Street (between Chartres and Royal streets) was approached by a black man who produced the now-ubiquitous chrome-plated handgun and demanded money. The victim backed away from the perpetrator, who fled on foot on St. Peter, turning on Royal towards Orleans.

Ironically, during all of these alleged misdeeds, Brown, who was out on $25,000 bond after being charged on last fall for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, showed up at Tulane and Broad--right under the cops' noses--on 3.14.08 for a court hearing on that charge.

Now, you know I'm no bleeding heart, but it would seem to me that a guy who can pull off 4 armed robberies in 20 minutes one night, get up early 2 days later to rob a bank, then remember to do his civic duty by showing up for a court appointment, might just be fast enough and industrious enough to get a real job.

More robberies, one more arrest: 8th District officers on patrol in the Lower Quarter near Royal Street and Esplanade Avenue spotted a suspect described in an armed robbery earlier at 12:35 a.m. and arrested Kevin McCoy. The 19-year-old black man, 6'1" tall and weighing 155 pounds, was booked 2 days later on 2 additional charges of attempted armed robbery. He is being held in OPP on $200,000 bond.

Other robberies:

• Wednesday (4.2.08) at 12:35 a.m., the victim, described by police as only a local white man, no age given, was walking on in the 1000 block of Ursulines Street toward N. Rampart Street when he was approached by a black man with a pistol who demanded money. The victim dropped his cellphone and ran. He called in a description of his assailant, which led to the arrest of McCoy.

• Thursday (4.3.08) at 3:57 a.m., a white couple walking on Bienville Street near Burgundy Street toward N. Rampart Street when 2 black thugs jumped from behind a dumpster. One pointed a pistol at the victims and demanded money. The victims complied, surrendering $116 in cash and the woman's purse.

The thieves fled in a dark-colored 2-door vehicle (why not say "sedan" or "SUV" or "pick-up truck"?) down Burgundy toward Esplanade Avenue.

Both were described as 20 years old, 5'5" tall, weighing 140 pounds, dark complexion, with braided hair. (See? They all do look alike.) Except one was wearing a flannel shirt and a blue bandanna.

• Friday (4.4.08) at 1:25 a.m., a white couple was walking in the 100 block of N. Peters Street near Canal Street when they heard someone running up behind them. The female turned around to see 2 white guys, one of whom struck her and took her purse.

The perps were both described as 5'11" tall, weighing 160 pounds (even the white guys all look alike!), except their mamas dressed them differently. One wore a red shirt, the other a black shirt.

• Friday (4.4.08) at 2:30 a.m., a white man (no age given) was befriended by another white man while drinking at the Double Play bar at Dauphine and St. Louis streets who offered to escort him to a cab stand so he could catch a cab. While walking in the 600 block of Dauphine (between Toulouse and St. Peter streets), the new "friend" struck the victim took his wallet and cellphone. The thief then fled in a red pick-up truck (so much better than the generic "vehicle").

The perp was described as 30 years old, medium build, wearing a red shirt and blue jeans, and sporting a green Tulane baseball cap (how appropriate at the "Double Play" bar!)

Cops and copper: You don't hear of it much, but 8th District officers managed to haul in a suspect for the theft of copper in the 1000 block of Canal Street (by Burgundy Street/University Place).

They arrested a white fella, Billy Black, 38, 5'8" tall, weighing 150 pounds. He's been charged with theft over $500, criminal damage to property, and criminal trespass. He's in OPP on $26,000 bond.

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

Thom Kahler

Curiouser and curiouser

Hosli a hero?: It's getting to look more and more like Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the NOPD 8th District, may have taken one for the team when he cut off crime information to NOcrimeline. Comments Big Chief Riley made in a press conference last week about NOcrimeline were nearly apoplectic, according to what we've heard from at least one journalist who was there. As he put it, "You know you've done something when you manage to piss off a police chief!" (We've tried to get a transcript from the NOPD Public Affairs Office to no avail. But considering they haven't put out a press release in over 2 weeks, it's not surprising.)

Seems Chief Riley was riled by the same thing Maj. Hosli claims he was: "editorializing" by NOcrimeline in the crime reports the 8th District supplied. Maj. Hosli denied--like a good soldier--when asked directly if he'd been ordered from on high to curtail the crime reports. It now appears he was just following orders from the Big Chief himself.

Gosh, you don't think Chief Riley is irked by our criticisms of the NOPD as the crime rate continues to soar on his watch? Of course, that gets harder and harder to confirm as he finds new ways to fudge the figures--like reporting them only "per capita" rather than the actual number of crimes. And he doesn't seem to mind being above the law, as he violates the state's public records law by not facilitating the release of crime reports to the public. And who is he to try to stifle some one's First Amendment rights? What's next? The Second Amendment?

Maj. Hosli has, meanwhile, found a way to inform the public in his fiefdom by developing his own email address list and sending rewritten reports of major crimes on a timely basis. We haven't seen any reports come through yet on burglaries and auto thefts, but maybe that, too, is in the works.

To get on Maj. Hosli's list, email 8thDistrict@cityofno.com.

To get on Chief Riley, email him at wriley@cityofno.com.

Now for the news: The good news is Maj. Hosli has been faithfully emailing residents of the 8th District with reports of major crimes on an almost daily basis. Here's the latest:

Hang on to your purse: There was a rash of pursesnatchings this past weekend:

• Saturday, 3.29.08, 1:35 a.m., St. Peter and Dauphine streets: A white female (no age or residence reported) was standing at the corner when a black guy tried to grab her purse and run away with it. She held onto it until a second black thug pushed her, causing her to lose her grip on it.

The 2 robbers fled on foot down Dauphine and turned right on Ursulines Street. Both were described as 16 to 24 years old, with thin builds, "low hair cuts" (I take that to mean "short hair"), and dark skin.

• Saturday, 3.29.08, 5 p.m., 900 block of Frenchmen Street (between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets): A white woman (no age or residence reported) was walking "east" (down river? since Frenchmen pretty much runs north-south) when 4 black boys walked past her and one of them grabbed her purse.

The punks fled "west" on Frenchmen. They were described as 12 to 16 years old, thin builds, wearing white T-shirts and blue jeans. Two were described as having "low hair cuts" and the other 2 as having dreadlocks.

• Sunday, 3.30.08, 2:51 a.m., 500 block of St. Louis Street (between Decatur and Chartres streets): A white woman (no age or residence reported) was walking "south" (southwest, I guess, toward the river) when a black guy approached her and snatched the purse from her shoulder.

He fled "north" on St. Louis, turning right on Chartres. He was described as 25 years old, 6' tall, weighing 170 pounds, with dreadlocks, and wearing a tan shirt and blue jeans.

• Sunday, 3.30.08, 8:55 a.m., 1200 block of N. Peters Street: A white woman (no age or residence reported) was in her French Market booth and when she took her wallet out to pay an employee, a white guy grabbed the wallet and attempted to flee.

Nearby vendors apprehended him and held him for police. The man police say is 27 years old, 6' tall and weighs 160 pounds, but his name can't be confirmed with Central Lockup.

From bad to worse: Now for the armed robberies:

• Wednesday, 3.26.08, 4:05 a.m., 201 Chartres St.: A 34-year-old white man met what he thought was a lovely lady who took him to her room at 608 Iberville St. There he encountered her boyfriend who allegedly pulled a pistol and demanded the victim's cellphone and wallet. He complied and the dastardly duo fled with his phone and $71.

Detectives showed the victim a photo lineup and he positively identified the perpetrator. Police arrested Ricardo Rodriguez, 45, 5'9" tall, weighing 155 pounds. When they got done with him he was in a whole heap of hurt. Charges accumulated: armed robbery with a firearm, forgery, access device fraud, possession of crack, possession of prohibited drug paraphernalia, criminal trespass, a municipal attachment plus a warrant from Jefferson Parish.

Meanwhile, his paramour--who was described as a white chick in her 30s, 5'5" tall, with a thin build and long, straight black hair--is still on the loose, so be careful who you befriend in the wee hours.

• Saturday, 3.29.08, 5:50 a.m., Royal and Ursulines streets: A white man (no age or residence reported) was approached by a Hispanic man and a black man. The Hispanic (it was only a matter of time until our newest residents branched out from the home building trades) pointed a pistol at the victim and demanded money and the victim handed over his wallet.

The Hispanic was described as 30 to 35 years old, 5'10" tall, weighing 200 pounds, wearing a black stocking cap. The black was described as 30 to 35 years old with a medium build.

• Saturday, 3.29.08, 10:45 p.m., 800 block of Iberville Street (between Bourbon and Dauphine streets): A black couple (no age or residence reported) were approached by 2 black dudes who asked for a light. When the male victim attempted to retrieve a lighter, one of the thugs pulled a pistol and demanded his money. The victim complied and the 2 robbers fled up Dauphine with a cellphone, a purse, jewelry and $600 in cash.

Both perps were described as 25 to 30 years old, one 6'2" tall, weighing 170 pounds with dreadlocks, wearing a black hooded jacket and blue jeans, and the other 5'8" tall, weighing 220 pounds, with a stocky build (no kidding!).

BOLO (Be On the Look Out): 8th District detectives have issued a warrant for a suspect in 2 of the 4 armed robberies in the French Quarter in a 20-minute span on the night of 3.5.08. They showed photographic line-ups to the victims who positively identified the suspect, Dornelius Brown, 18, a black male, 5'10" tall, weighing 150 pounds.

He's currently in custody in Tangipahoa Parish. He was out on $25,000 bond on a charge 11.30.07 for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and appeared 3.14.08 in Orleans Parish Criminal Court for a hearing on the charge.

In the first of 2 robberies on 3.5.08 at 9:05 p.m., a 29-year-old white man walking on Royal Street near Orleans Avenue when he was approached by a black man who produced a chrome-plated handgun and demanded his money, which he surrendered.

Then 7 minutes later and 7 blocks away at 9:12 p.m., a 22-year-old white man was walking in the 900 block of Bienville Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets) when he was approached by a black man who produced a chrome-plated handgun and demanded money, with which the victim complied.

Detectives also issued a warrant for Vaughn Howard, 25, a black male, 5'8" tall, weighing 200 pounds. He's wanted for an armed robbery Sunday, 3.23.08, at 2 a.m. in the 500 block of Royal Street (between St. Louis and Toulouse streets).

He must have been out celebrating the fact the District Attorney refused to charge him earlier in the week for possession of stolen goods, for which he had been arrested in January. See how these things come back to bite you on the butt?

He was positively identified in a photo line-up by the victim, a white man who had been walking on Royal when a black dude hollered to him, asking for a cigarette. When he turned to hand him a cigarette, the dude pulled a pistol and demanded his money. He reached into the victim's pocket and a struggle ensued. The robber fled on Toulouse towards the river with the contents of the victim's pocket.

Wouldn't it be nice if the NOPD would release pictures when they've got a warrant out for someone. There are an awfully lot of eyeballs out there who read this and who might be able to nab these scumbags.

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

Thom Kahler

Reports DIRECT from the 8th District

Back again: After 10 days of curtailing crime reports to the community because of his displeasure with NOcrimeline, Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, has found a way to keep citizens informed by bypassing NOcrimeline. We applaud his effort and will do all we can to help make it successful.

In an email sent out to about 400 citizens yesterday afternoon, Maj. Hosli wrote:

"I believe that it is time for the 8th District to begin sending out updates directly to the citizens we serve. I will begin sending out the crime information, locations, types of crime, descriptions of wanted subjects, what arrests were made, and description of the perpetrator's vehicle, if available. It will also give us an opportunity to continue to give crime tips and relay information to a larger segment of the community.

"I currently have 402 email addresses. I know that this is just the beginning and the email address distribution list will increase. I ask that you forward this to others in our community interested in receiving the information. Our email address is 8thdistrict@cityofno.com. I welcome all suggestions, concerns, or complaints."

I urge you to sign up for Maj. Hosli's email list. This will allow you to read the crime reports without embellishment. Meanwhile, NOcrimeline will continue to publish the reports, not only as a source of information, but with embellishment, spin, wisecracks, commentary and analysis--all generally categorized as "editorializing."

Some have expressed fear this will take Maj. Hosli away from doing "real police work." I'd argue that this is police work of the highest caliber. Giving citizens information so they can take precautions to avoid becoming victims of crime is policing at its best. I think he should be lauded for an effort that no other NOPD district commanders are doing to this extent.

Considering Maj. Hosli's efforts in supplying NOcrimeline with crime reports for the past year, I think you can have confidence that he will withhold nothing and that you'll get reports on every major crime happening in the 8th District, which includes the French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, and CBD/Warehouse District.

My only criticism of what I've seen so far of his reports (and it's something easily correctable since the information is available on the official crime report) is the limited description of victims by only race and sex. NOcrimeline subscribers in the past have urged us to include the age and residence of victims so they would know whether old or young people were being targeted, and whether they were local residents or tourists.

He apparently will not be supplying the excellent crime maps that he gave to his officers and NOcrimeline daily that detailed each major crime. He has, instead, referred citizens receiving his emails to the NOPD's public crime map, which tends to lag a week to 2 weeks behind the current date.

In case you missed it: You can see WWL-TV's take on the brouhaha from yesterday's news report.

Here's what's been happening for the past week:

• Aggravated Battery: Monday, 3.17.08, 4:30 a.m., Conti and Dauphine streets. Two white guys got into a fight and exchanged punches. One of the guys pulled a knife and swung at the victim. Both men took off. Several hours later the victim contacted the police when he realized he'd been cut.

The perpetrator was only described as wearing blue jeans and a blue T-shirt.

• Armed Robbery: Saturday, 3.22.08, 6:45 a.m., 300 block of Burgundy Street (between Bienville and Conti streets). Two men (race and age not reported) were walking on Burgundy when they were approached by 2 black guys. One approached from the front, while the other approached from the rear. The one in front pulled a black pistol and demanded the victims' wallets. The guy in back took the wallets.

The one robber was described as in his 20s, 5'6" tall, weighing 160 pounds, wearing a white hoodie and black or blue pants. The other robber was wearing a black hoodie.

• Armed Robbery: Saturday, 3.22.08, 11:45 p.m., 400 block of Burgundy Street (between Conti and St. Louis streets). A white man reported walking past a black man sitting on the steps of a building when a black man hopped out of a black SUV and pulled out a chrome-plated revolver and demanded the victim's money. They guy sitting on the steps came up behind the victim and took his wallet and cellphone. The victim was told to walk away. When he looked back, both black men and the black SUV were gone.

The robbers were described as in their late teens, 5'4" tall, weighing 140 pounds, with dark complexions. One was wearing a black hoodie with white designs and a black bandanna across his face. The other wore a dark hoodie with white designs.

• Attempted Armed Robbery: Sunday, 3.23.08, 12:20 a.m., 700 block of Common Street. A white man was confronted by 2 black guys, one of whom was brandishing a black pistol and demanded his money. The victim tried to run and was struck with the weapon.

One would-be robber was described as 23 to 25 years old, 5'10" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with a dark complexion and his front 2 teeth encrusted with diamonds, wearing a white T-shirt with a black button-up shirt unbuttoned. The other crook was 25 to 27 years old, 6'1" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with a dark complexion and short hair, wearing a white shirt.

• Armed Robbery: Sunday, 3.23.08, 2 a.m., 500 block of Royal Street (between St. Louis and Toulouse streets). A white man was walking on Royal when a black dude hollered to him, asking for a cigarette. When he turned to hand him a cigarette, the dude pulled a pistol and demanded his money. He reached into the victim's pocket and a struggle ensued. The robber fled on Toulouse towards the river with the contents of the victim's pocket.

The victim waited several hours before contacting the police. He described the robber as 5'8" tall, weighting 200 pounds.

• Attempted Simple Robbery: Sunday, 3.23.08, 9:34 p.m., 900 block of Bienville Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets). A white couple, male and female (guess you've got to add that in the Quarter), were walking on Bienville when a black guy emerged from behind a parked car (hint: walk on the side of the street where there's no parking) and came up to them, demanding they empty their pockets. The couple fled without relinquishing any property.

A witness told police he observed the would-be robber jump into a bright blue, older model vehicle parked in the 200 block of Dauphine, which fled toward Canal Street.

The perpetrator was described as 20 to 25 years old, 5'9" to 6' tall, 150 pounds, with a dark complexion and medium dreadlocks (I thought those were passe in favor of hoodies), wearing a hoodie and dark pants.

• Attempted Armed Robbery: Sunday, 3.23.08, 11:35 p.m., 300 Burgundy Street (between Bienville and Conti streets). A white man standing in front of his residence on Burgundy was approached by a white guy holding a small silver-colored knife. The would-be robber waved the knife and demanded the victim's property. He refused and "defended himself", as the police report said, but not how. The bad guy fled and the victim called in a description.

The police caught up with Bill Amos, 54, at Bienville and N. Rampart streets, and arrested him for attempted armed robbery. His bond was set at $75,000 and he must have bonded out already because the sheriff had no record of him in OPP.

• Simple Robbery: Monday, 3.24.08, 1:30 a.m., 700 block of Chartres Street (Jackson Square). A white man was confronted by 3 black teenagers who demanded his wallet. When he refused he was punched by one of the punks, which changed the his mind and he surrendered his wallet.

The thugs were described as in their late teens, weighing 140 pounds, wearing dark clothing.

• Attempted Armed Robbery: Monday, 3.24.08, 8:45 a.m. Two black dudes entered he convenience store at 501 Dauphine St. at St. Louis Street. One had a red bandanna over his face and walked to the counter while the second loitered in the doorway of the store. The dude at the counter had his hand covered by a newspaper, implying he had a gun, and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk activated the silent alarm and grabbed a stick from behind the counter, and then chased the 2 thugs out of the store (I don't think that was her first rodeo). The bad guys got into a red Grand Am or Grand Prix (sorry, Pontiac people) and fled down St. Louis toward N. Rampart Street.

One perpetrator was described as 20 to 25 years old, 5'6" tall, weighing 150 pounds, wearing a green jacket, blue jeans, and, oh yeah, a red bandanna. The other was described as also 20 to 25 years old, 6'1" tall, weighing 165 pounds, wearing a red and white jacket and blue jeans with multi-color pockets.

• Armed Robbery: Tuesday, 3.25.08, 12:05 a.m., 500 block of Bienville Street near Chartres Street. Two while women were walking on Bienville toward Chartres when 2 black thugs pointed a pistol at them and demanded their property. They handed over cash and a wallet to the robbers, who fled on foot down Bienville toward Decatur Street.

One robber was described as 20 to 25 years old, 6' tall, with short dreadlocks and wearing dark clothing. The other was only described as wearing dark clothing.

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

Thom Kahler