Out in force: No, not the cops. The bad guys are now roaming the French Quarter in gangs of 3 or more to rob citizens at all times of day and night. It used to be a lone gunman, or sometimes a duo, would rob residents walking down the street. But now they're ganging up. You'd think the cops might notice a gang of thugs prowling the Quarter and stop them to see what they're up to--but who knows what, if anything, they're doing to stymie this latest crime wave.
- Monday morning (7.7.08) at 12:10 a.m., a white woman, 40, walking to her home in the Marigny Triangle from front desk job at a French Quarter hotel was in the 1100 block of Royal Street (between Ursulines and Gov. Nicholls streets) when she was robbed by 3 black hoodlums.
In her account to NOcrimeline, she said they "came around the corner of Gov. Nicholls and charged me, threw me to the ground and ripped the backpack off my back with a gun shoved against my face and another guy holding his foot on my cheek and jaw."
As the thugs were walking away, "I sat up and looked in their direction. He looked back and said, "Lay down and look the other way or I'll have to shoot you in the face!"
The one robber was armed with a small snub-nosed chrome revolver. They all fled on foot up Ursulines toward N. Rampart Street.
As the thugs were walking away, "I sat up and looked in their direction. He looked back and said, "Lay down and look the other way or I'll have to shoot you in the face!"
The one robber was armed with a small snub-nosed chrome revolver. They all fled on foot up Ursulines toward N. Rampart Street.
She gave high praise to the 2 patrol officers and detective who responded almost immediately and were "very professional, helpful and did everything they could."
But the cops' description of the robbers was very cookie cutter: All 3 perps were said to be 18 to 25 years old, 6' tall, weighing 195 pounds; only the clothing description varied.
The victim's description was much more specific: All were in their early 20's, ranged in height from 5'11" tall to 6'2" tall. One was light skinned and the other 2 darker; none had facial hair. One had hair almost to his shoulders in dreadlocks, the other shorter hair in dreadlocks, and the third's hair was very short, almost twists. None had visible tattoos, all were very fit looking and had athletic builds. One was wearing boots, a long black T-shirt, knee-length dark colored shorts, not cut-offs; 2 were wearing long white T-shirts and long denim shorts. That's one of the best descriptions from a victim I've read in a long time.
The victim's description was much more specific: All were in their early 20's, ranged in height from 5'11" tall to 6'2" tall. One was light skinned and the other 2 darker; none had facial hair. One had hair almost to his shoulders in dreadlocks, the other shorter hair in dreadlocks, and the third's hair was very short, almost twists. None had visible tattoos, all were very fit looking and had athletic builds. One was wearing boots, a long black T-shirt, knee-length dark colored shorts, not cut-offs; 2 were wearing long white T-shirts and long denim shorts. That's one of the best descriptions from a victim I've read in a long time.
- Tuesday night (7.8.08), about an hour earlier, at 10:55 p.m., a young white guy walking in the 1100 block of Dauphine Street (between Ursulines and Gov. Nicholls streets) when he was accosted by 5 black hoodlums.
According to a resident sitting on his balcony at Dauphine and Ursulines, he saw the victim running down the street being chased by the gang until "they caught up with him and threw him on the ground." When the resident yelled "Stop--I'm calling the police" as loud as he could, the thugs fled toward Esplanade Avenue, but not before relieving the victim of his wallet.
Again, the cops had a cookie-cutter description of the perps: Each of the 5 was said to be 17 to 19 years old, one was listed as 5'10" tall, weighing 185 pounds, but the other 4 were all listed as 6' tall, weighing 170 pounds. Gives a whole new meaning to "They all look alike."
What makes the incident worse, is that the citizen who bothered to call 911 swears the emergency operator hung up on him. "The operator had to have heard that I was being threatened if I did not hang up the phone," he said. "Naturally, I though she would immediately call back. She did not; I called later and was told 'that is not our policy.' "He said he never did see the police show up at the scene and none spoke to him about what he saw.
That makes at least 4 robberies reported perpetrated a gang of 3 or more black thugs in the last 2 weeks.
On 6.28.08, a white couple was robbed by 3 black gangsters in the 500 block of Toulouse Street (near Chartres Street) at 4:15 a.m. The robbers in that case were described as 17 to 24 years old, 2 of them 5'11" tall, weighing 130 pounds, and the other 5'8" tall, weighing 120 pounds.
Then 2 days later on 7.1.08, a gang of 3 thugs assaulted a white couple, bumping very roughly into the woman, at Royal and Toulouse streets about 2 a.m. When the woman's companion tried to shield her from the ruffians, one of them pulled a gun and shot the man in the leg. One culprit was described as 6' tall, weighing 160 pounds, sporting dreadlocks; the other 2 were said to be 5'9" tall, weighing 150 pounds.
Then 2 days later on 7.1.08, a gang of 3 thugs assaulted a white couple, bumping very roughly into the woman, at Royal and Toulouse streets about 2 a.m. When the woman's companion tried to shield her from the ruffians, one of them pulled a gun and shot the man in the leg. One culprit was described as 6' tall, weighing 160 pounds, sporting dreadlocks; the other 2 were said to be 5'9" tall, weighing 150 pounds.
What would I do if I saw a pack of blacks walking toward me? I'd call 911 and tell them I spotted the gang responsible for the robberies in the Quarter. Let the police sort it out. Better safe than sorry.
Lone robber: A white woman was robbed of her purse in broad daylight on Monday (7.7.08) at 4:15 p.m. She was at the corner of St. Ann and Chartres streets when a black guy came up asked for directions to Canal Street. When she turned to point toward Canal, the crook grabbed her purse from her shoulder and fled on foot up St. Ann toward N. Rampart Street.
He was described as in his 20's, 6' tall, weighing 180 pounds, wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt.
DA sets more suspects free: Maybe District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson is just clearing her desk of cases so she won't be bothered while she campaigns for judge, but she's cutting them loose at a record rate.
Remember the guy who dodged the bullet--literally-- when a NOcrimeline subs
criber turned the tables on him last April and then would up also getting arrested for attempted armed robbery of a store in the Quarter? It looks like he's dodged another bullet: The DA a few weeks ago dropped the armed robbery charges against Bruce Jones, 26, in the attempt on the Compac convenience store at Dauphine and St. Louis streets on 3.24.08.
A Jones for this, a Jones for that: Then there's another Jones, Rodney
criber turned the tables on him last April and then would up also getting arrested for attempted armed robbery of a store in the Quarter? It looks like he's dodged another bullet: The DA a few weeks ago dropped the armed robbery charges against Bruce Jones, 26, in the attempt on the Compac convenience store at Dauphine and St. Louis streets on 3.24.08.He's still got to go to court next week on a charge of aggravated assault for the episode on 4.8.08 in the 500 block of Burgundy Street when he started to pull a gun on a guy who had reached his "I'm-mad-as-hell-and-I'm-not-going-to-take-it-anymore!" moment after having been robbed in the same area a week before. He pulled out his own .38-caliber revolver with a laser site and popped off 4 rounds at Jones. Jones fled and was not hit by any of the shots, but he wound up cowering in the gutter, begging for his life.
For now, he's out on $3,000 bond. A charge of carrying a concealed weapon against him in this case, has already been dropped; let's see what happens next.
Jones. This Jones, who turned 43 yesterday, went to court today and got a belated birthday present from the DA: the charge of simple robbery against him had been dropped. Jones had been arrested 5.8.08 for allegedly robbing a white man in the 1100 block of Bourbon Street.
ow what aggravation it is--and how difficult for the cops to catch someone. But 8th District cops thought they'd caught a car burglar when they nabbed Floyd Tyuse, 25, on 5.8.08 for breaking into a car at Burgundy and Conti streets. He was held in OPP under $30,000 bond for simple burglary and criminal damage (you know, like when they bust your car window out).That is, until today when the DA dropped both charges. Now he's free to roam the Quarter again, just as he was when the DA dropped an armed robbery charge against him only a month before his brush with the law over the car. Wonder how long it will take this time for him to get in trouble again?
Where's the outrage: My God, people! When are you going to say "enough is enough" and demand a new mayor, a new police chief, a new district attorney, and new judges? Candidates are signing up through Friday for DA and criminal court judge--make sure there are candidates there we can elect who will do the job. We have to wait 2 more years to get a new mayor, but he could give us a new police chief if he wanted to improve his approval rating, which lags around Dubya's.
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Thom Kahler
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