Crimes reported: August 2008

These are the crimes reported during August, 2008 in the 8th District (French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, CBD) as listed on the NOPD's crime map, which gives the dates and locations, but not the time the crimes occurred:

Armed robbery
8.05.08, gun, 2000 St. Claude Ave.
8.09.08, St. Louis St. & Dauphine St.
8.17.08, attempted, gun, 1000 Barracks St.
8.19.08, gun, 2000 Burgundy St.
8.22.08, gun, Bienville St. & Clinton St.
8.28.08, gun, St. Louis St. & Bourbon St.

Simple robbery
8.03.08, pursesnatching, 700 Fulton St.
8.06.08, pickpocketing, Bourbon St. & Iberville St.
8.08.08, Gov. Nicholls St. & Bourbon St.
8.10.08, 600 Toulouse St.
8.16.08, pickpocketing, 1500 Poydras St.
8.25.08, 300 Dauphine St.
8.26.08, 500 Bourbon St.
8.27.08, pursesnatching, 800 Toulouse St.
8.29.08, 1100 Decatur St.

Assault & battery
8.02.08, attempted murder, Bienville St. & Decatur St.
8.07.08, aggravated battery, cutting, 100 Carondelet St.
8.08.08, aggravated battery, cutting, 1300 Royal St.
8.10.08, aggravated battery, cutting, 1000 Decatur St.
8.21.08, aggravated assault, 500 Frenchmen St.
8.22.08, aggravated battery, cutting, Bourbon St. & Conti St.
8.26.08, aggravated battery, 800 Bourbon St.
8.29.08, aggravated assault, 600 Bienville St.

Burglary
8.01.08, 1000 Constance St.
8.02.08, business, 900 Poydras St.
8.06.08, business, 1000 Common St.
8.06.08, business, Poydras St.
8.11.08, residence, 300 Baronne St.
8.12.08, 1500 Tulane Ave.
8.13.08, business, 500 Frenchmen St.
8.22.08, business, 700 Baronne St.
8.24.08, attempted, business, 1000 Howard Ave.

Theft
8.02.08, shoplifting, 700 Royal St.
8.02.08, 800 Common St.
8.03.08, 500 Frenchmen St.
8.03.08, 500 Frenchmen St.
8.03.08, 600 Canal St.
8.04.08, 1000 Magazine St.
8.04.08, 600 Toulouse St.
8.04.08, Bienville St. & Decatur St.
8.05.08, 1000 Loyola Ave.
8.06.08, 800 Poydras St.
8.07.08, Bourbon St. & St. Louis St.
8.07.08, 1600 Canal St.
8.07.08, 300 St. Joseph St.
8.08.08, 1500 Girod St.
8.08.08, 800 Canal St.
8.09.08, bicycle, 300 Canal St.
8.09.08, 1300 Canal St.
8.09.08, 300 Bourbon St.
8.10.08, bicycle, 200 Decatur St.
8.10.08, shoplifting, 400 Canal St.
8.10.08, Bourbon St. & Canal St.
8.11.08, Poydras St.
8.12.08, shoplifting, 100 Carondelet St.
8.12.08, 100 Decatur St.
8.12.08, 800 Toulouse St.
8.13.08, 600 Poydras St.
8.13.08, 2000 St. Claude Ave.
8.14.08, bicycle, 800 Gravier St.
8.14.08, shoplifting, 600 Decatur St.
8.15.08, exterior of auto, N. Diamond St. & Tchoupitoulas St.
8.15.08, shoplifting, 1100 Decatur St.
8.16.08, 200 Poydras St.
8.16.08, 600 Decatur St.
8.16.08, 200 Bourbon St.
8.17.08, shoplifting, 100 Chartres St.
8.17.08, 900 Decatur St.
8.17.08, 700 Commerce St.
8.17.08, 400 St. Charles Ave.
8.18.08, exterior of auto, 300 Canal St.
8.18.08, 200 Chartres St.
8.18.08, 1400 Poydras St.
8.19.08, 400 Bourbon St.
8.19.08, 800 Poydras St.
8.20.08, 400 Bourbon St.
8.22.08, shoplifting, 600 Decatur St.
8.23.08, shoplifting, 1000 Canal St.
8.24.08, 500 Tchoupitoulas St.
8.24.08, 1000 Magazine St.
8.25.08, 600 Bienville St.
8.26.08, Poydras St.
8.27.08, 1600 Canal St.
8.27.08, 1500 Poydras St.
8.28.08, 100 Royal St.
8.30.08, 800 Bourbon St.

Auto theft
8.01.08, 400 Dauphine St.
8.01.08, Magazine St. & St. Joseph St.
8.04.08, Exchange Alley & Iberville St.
8.04.08, Exchange Alley & Iberville St.
8.05.08, St. Joseph St. & Tchoupitoulas St.
8.06.08, Dauphine St. & St. Philip St.
8.06.08, 500 Elysian Fields Ave.
8.06.08, Gravier St. & St. Charles Ave.
8.07.08, 1100 Burgundy St.
8.07.08, 1100 Burgundy St.
8.07.08, 600 Dumaine St.
8.08.08, 1000 Loyola Ave.
8.08.08, 200 Bourbon St.
8.09.08, Common St. & St. Charles Ave.
8.09.08, Clinton St. & Bienville St.
8.11.08, Julia St. & Loyola Ave.
8.11.08, 1100 Decatur St.
8.11.08, 900 St. Philip St.
8.13.08, Burgundy St. & Ursulines Ave.
8.14.08, Bienville St. & Royal St.
8.15.08, 900 St. Louis St.
8.16.08, Dumaine St. & Royal St.
8.16.08, Bienville St. & Dauphine St.
8.17.08, 100 Iberville St.
8.18.08, attempted, 1100 N. Rampart St.
8.19.08, 500 Bienville St.
8.23.08, 300 Loyola Ave.
8.24.08, Commerce St. & Girod St.
8.24.08, 800 S. Peters St.
8.24.08, Kerlerec St. & P8.ER St.
8.28.08, Iberville St. & Burgundy St.

Car break-in
8.03.08, S. Rampart St. & Canal St.
8.06.08, Poydras St.
8.07.08, Bienville St. & N. Peters St.
8.09.08, 600 Gov. Nicholls St.
8.11.08, 800 Howard Ave.
8.11.08, Burgundy St. & Toulouse St.
8.14.08, 1000 Elysian Fields Ave.
8.14.08, 100 Burgundy St.
8.14.08, 1500 Poydras St.
8.15.08, 500 St. Louis St.
8.15.08, 500 St. Louis St.
8.15.08, 1000 Poydras St.
8.16.08, 200 N. Peters St.
8.17.08, 600 St. Philip St.
8.21.08, 700 N. Rampart St.
8.21.08, Dauphine St. & Barracks St.
8.23.08, 700 Bienville St.
8.23.08, 100 Burgundy St.
8.23.08, 100 Conti St.
8.24.08, 400 Burgundy St.
8.24.08, 100 Baronne St.
8.24.08, 900 Toulouse St.
8.26.08, 1000 Barracks St.
8.26.08, 400 Julia St.
8.28.08, 1500 Poydras St.

SPECIAL REPORT: Crime in the French Quarter crippling tourism

Crime has gotten so bad in the French Quarter that there's a danger tourists will start to think twice before vacationing here.

That's according to a major player in the city's hotel industry who sent an urgent email last week to City Councilman James Carter (pictured), whose district includes the French Quarter and who chairs the council's Criminal Justice Committee.

The hotel magnate--who's on first name basis with the councilman--tells Carter: "I believe it is at a point where it will be affecting commerce and I have told the hotels I am involved with to warn guests to be careful.

"There was a time when as long as the tourist stayed on the river side of Rampart, they were safe. Now I am not sure that there is a safe place in the Quarter."

The situation is so dire, he pleads, that "we need to do something before someone (a tourist) gets killed."

Already, hotel occupancy is well below the rosy numbers often touted publicly by tourism officials.

This hotel guru--who has links to most, if not all, of the biggest hotels in the city--says, "Despite what you may read in the paper as it relates to occupancy in the area hotels, it is all false. Most are still running at somewhere between 50% and 60% occupancy for the year."

That means, plainly and simply, not as many tourists are coming to New Orleans as generally portrayed in the media.

He acknowledges that "we have a city with an image problem as it currently stands, but the French Quarter is still sellable," but adds, "We can't afford to let it slide any more."

Then he asserts what we've all long suspected about the NOPD covering up crime in the French Quarter: "I don't think the 8th District can keep the situation under the table too much longer."

(In all fairness to Maj. Edwin Hosli and his crew manning the NOPD's 8th District, which includes the French Quarter, censorship and suppression of information on crime in the city comes from the very top: Big Chief Warren Riley.)

The hotelier goes on to say, "Locals, as well as others in the Greater New Orleans region, know what's going on, and do not care to play tourist as they once did because they know the area is not safe.

"Something needs to be done, and we need someone to step up in the political arena and take charge," he tells Carter, who's a candidate for Congress. "Is there anything we can do? This is not my expertise but I would be willing to contribute people and dollars to help in any way I can," he concludes. "Something needs to happen."

Now the ball is in Carter's court as chairman of the council committee directly charged with dealing with crime. It will be interesting to see how he responds to this offer of money and manpower from the private sector. It would be a great opportunity for Carter to show what kind of leader he could be in the public sector.

I've always maintained that the crime problem in the city--in the French Quarter particularly--would have a better chance of being solved if the city's moneyed and powerful interests stepped up. They were instrumental in deposing District Attorney Eddie Jordan. Now they could have a similar influence in ridding the city of crime.

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

Thom Kahler

Street justice does us a favor again

Who was that masked driver?: The NOPD is now saying that the 33-year-old man who was run over repeatedly by a pickup truck until he died in the Marigny Triangle was suspected in 4 recent robberies in the 8th District.

Devin Legaux, of Slidell, who was killed just before 4 a.m. on 8.10.08 at Pauger and N. Rampart streets, was suspected in these robberies:

• Julia and Commerce streets, 6.27.08, 12:45 a.m.: Suspect came up behind woman and grabbed her purse.
• Bourbon and St. Philip streets, 7.19.08, 11:30 p.m.: Suspect came up behind woman and grabbed her purse.
• 700 block of Esplanade Avenue, 7.26.08, 2:38 a.m.: Suspect pulled a gun and took purse from woman's shoulder, then fled in a late model, dark colored SUV.
• Royal and Bienville streets, 8.4.08, 11:30 p.m.: Suspect, with an accomplice, pushed the victim to the ground after victim withdrew cash from an ATM and snatched the money from the victim's pocket.

About 45 minutes before he died, police said Legaux and a buddy beat up a 28-year-old man on a bicycle delivering food in the 1400 block of Pauger (between Bourbon and Dauphine streets). After he was punched several times, the deliveryman began swinging his metal lock chain to chase them away. The duo went across the street and attacked another man who was wearing a red shirt.

That fit Legaux's modus operandi: he had numerous arrests for public intimidation, extortion, aggravated battery, resisting an officer, battery of a police officer, and threatening a public official--going back to when he was 18.

Legaux's accomplice in the earlier assaults was found hiding in a backyard 2 blocks away in the 1600 block of N. Rampart Street (near Kerlerec Street). Legaux was walking with another man when the male driver of a pickup struck him and rolled back and forth over him several times. The driver fled on northbound N. Rampart toward Elysian Fields Avenue. Legaux died on the scene.

Homicide Detective Brian Pollard is in charge of the investigation. He can be reached at 658-5300 if you have information that may help solve the case. Or you can just be glad we have one less thug on the streets to intimidate us.

Bad, and worse: We reported earlier that a man was robbed early Sunday morning (8.17.08) around 1:30 a.m. at Royal and St. Peter streets. The robbery actually occurred at Royal and St. Philip streets. But there are 2 important stories here:

Roving gangs again: The victim, who had just gotten off work as a waiter, turned off Royal and was half way down St. Philip, heading toward Chartres Street, when he was mugged by a gang of 3 young black thugs, reminiscent of the gangs that terrorized the Quarter last month.

The victim was grabbed by the one kid and swung on him out of instinct. That was when the a second hoodlum put a gun in the victim's face, while a third one stood lookout. They took his messenger bag, money, wallet, a wireless card, his uniform for work and other small things.

Hear no evil, see no evil...: As bad as that was, this might be worse. While the robbery was going on, the victim said a desk clerk from the Chateau Hotel at St. Philip and Chartres Street was outside and witnessed the crime. But instead of doing anything, he went back inside and didn't even call 911.

The next day, the victim went to the hotel and spoke with the manager and told her about the clerk's indifference. The manager told him that she would speak to the clerk and get his version of the story, but that the hotel's management doesn't encourage employees to get involved in things that happen outside of the hotel.

Many who have to be out late at night walking the streets of the Quarter often plan their route to go past stores that are open, bars that are brightly lit, and hotels where desk personnel can view the street. But this method of trying to insure their safety is now suspect.

Mayhem in the Marigny: If Devin Legaux hadn't been run down and killed 3 days earlier, it would be easy to suspect him in this robbery too. On 8.13.08, a 22-year-old woman from New Jersey and the man she was with, also 22, were walking on Royal Street near Touro Street just after 2 a.m. when 2 men, one with a chrome-plated pistol, got out of a dark-colored SUV and demanded the couple's purse and wallet. The victims surrendered them, along with a cellphone.

Just a couple of weeks earlier, a woman was robbed of her purse in the 700 block of Esplanade--just a couple of blocks from this latest crime and at about the same time--by a thug who fled in a dark-colored SUV, just as described in this case. Legaux, who was killed 8.10.08, was suspected of that robbery.

Ebony & Ivory: A 31-year-old black woman sitting on the porch at 2010 Burgundy St. (between Touro and Frenchmen streets) at about 4 a.m. Tuesday (8.19.08) was accosted by a white man and a black man, who was armed with a pistol. He put the gun to her head and demanded her property. She gave up her wallet and the 2 hoodlums ran down Burgundy toward Esplanade Avenue.

The white guy was wearing a black T-shirt, blue jeans, and a black baseball cap. The black guy was wearing a white T-shirt, black pants, and a black baseball cap.

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

Thom Kahler

A little of what's going on

Better to be pissed off than pissed on: A resident of the 1000 block of Barracks Street (between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets) nearly became the victim of an armed robbery early yesterday morning (8.17.08) when he chastised a black teenager for urinating in the street.

The victim (a white male for whom the 8th District refused to provide an age) was returning home about 12:40 a.m. when he noticed 2 black dudes standing between 2 cars near his home. He told the black guy not to pee in the street and an argument broke out. One of the young hoodlums pulled out a pistol and demanded the victim's money. When the victim refused to give it up, the punks fled on their bicycles.

A short time later, Ofc. Charles Stamps, of the 8th District's Taskforce, apprehended the 2 at Conti and Bourbon streets. Arrested were: Willie Sorden, 18, (left) and Keith Perkins, 17, (right). Both were charged with attempted armed robbery and illegally carrying a weapon. Each is being held on $60,000 bond in OPP.

Wait, there's more: The above incident was the ONLY crime reported by the 8th District for the past week. I don't know why the 8th District is trying so hard to cover up what's happening in the French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, and CBD--except maybe it's so bad they're terribly embarrassed. But from a couple of reliable sources we've learned of these incidents:

• From a reliable source who has previously supplied us with accurate information: A friend of hers was robbed yesterday morning (8.17.08) between 1 and 1:30 a.m. at Royal and St. Peter streets while walking to his car after getting off work. She had no more information than that, but, of course, the 8th District had none.

• From an anonymous source, believed to be a NOPD officer: A black man was caught stealing a woman's purse Saturday evening at the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant near Harrah's Casino during the Saints' game. He was subdued by the patrons and bartenders until the police arrived.

Supposedly the same miscreant was caught 2 hours earlier stealing a woman's camera in Spanish Plaza, but the victim didn't press charges because she got her camera back. So the thief was let loose to strike again--within only a matter of hours.

Crackhouse can't be ignored: After we reported last week that neighbors in the Lower Quarter were distressed that Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, was ignoring a crackhouse at the corner of Gov. Nicholls and Bourbon streets, Deputy Chief Kirk Bouyelas, the chief of operations and Hosli's boss, stepped in.

Alerted to the problem by NOcrimeline, he wrote back: "I will make sure that Maj. Hosli is aware of the situation and your concerns," and added, "I am confident that together we can address this situation successfully."

Now that the top brass in the NOPD has been alerted, let's see what happens.

More on "Open Carry": Our report on an anonymous group advocating armed citizen patrols of the French Quarter stirred some interest. If you want more information on the legality of openly carrying firearms in Louisiana, go to this website sponsored by OpenCarry.org. It attempts to clarify the issue.

A citizen resident of the Marigny Triangle who claims to already "open carry" elaborated further in a NOLA.com forum. He says he goes out, usually between 2 and 4 a.m., patrolling his neighborhood beginning at N. Rampart Street and St. Bernard Avenue, walking toward Elysian Fields Avenue, and going down some of the side streets.

"I carry a Mossburg 500 Persuader (pistol grip) and a 12-gauge slung on my back as well," he writes. He claims in the year and a half he's been doing this, he's "stopped 2 rapes, 3 armed robberies, 2 car jackings, 2 home burgleries."

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

Thom Kahler

Neighbors worry, NOPD silent

Drugs in the Quarter, police don't care: Neighbors in the Lower French Quarter have repeatedly alerted the NOPD to an alleged crackhouse at Gov. Nicholls and Bourbon streets, but their complaints have met with silence.

It's gotten so bad that one neighbor reports, "One night we had a man standing in the street screaming to call 911 because there was a crackhouse dealing drugs on the corner--we called as we were worried about the man's safety. Police didn't show up for that either."

Now the neighbors are speculating that the recent spate of robberies near that corner in the wee hours of the morning might be related to the drug dealing there. The victims have given police scant or no descriptions of the perpetrators.

The robbers, one neighbor conjectured, "are probably waiting on someone to make a deal, and they probably jump them for the drugs they just bought, or the money they have ready to buy the drugs. And, of course, the victims don't want to give a description."

Our queries to the 8th District about this problem met with silence too. So what are we waiting for? Some one of us to be murdered walking past this scene some night?

Marigny/Bywater in fear: Residents of Marigny and the Bywater are in fear once again as another unsolved murder haunts them.

The killing of Jessica Hawk, 32, (pictured) whose body was found Monday morning (8.11.08) in her home at 3013 Chartres St.in the Bywater, recalls memories of the murders of Helen Hill, 37, last year on N. Rampart Street in the Faubourg Marigny and of Michael Frey, 28, the year before that on Chartres Street in the Marigny Triangle.

None of the murders have been solved, and worse, the police are releasing few details in Hawk's murder, compounding the fear her neighbors already feel.

What is known: "Dr. Bob" Shaffer, a renown artist whose studio is a few doors from Hawk's house, viewed the crime scene with detectives before the body was removed. He told neighbors Hawk's body was propped up and had suffered multiple stab wounds. The body was also nude, raising the specter of sexual assault.

You can see why residents there are fearful.

Hall's murder last year prompted a massive march on City Hall. The Mayor and Police Chief both made big promises, promises which were never kept. Now Hawk's neighbors are talking of new tactics to try to get Mayor Nagin and the NOPD serious about crime in the city.

One has suggested "civil disobedient graffiti"--painting the outline of a body at each murder scene in the neighborhood as a graphic reminder of the dying they live with daily.

Another tactic: An anonymous spokesman for a group called "French Quarter Predator Watch" says his group has received many calls for help from the residents of Burgundy and Dauphine streets, and he posted this on a NOLA.com forum:

"After studying the problem for several months, talking to crime victims, local police, residents, and researching how other crime-ridden neighbors in America and other countries have solved the same problems we are experiencing, we believe we have an answer: Armed citizen security patrols, groups of local citizens armed with weapons, cameras, flashlights, cellphones, walking their own neighborhoods, confronting thugs, prostitutes, drug dealers, etc., asking questions, taking pictures, calling police."

A resident of the Marigny responded that he had already jumped the gun, so to speak:

"I now 'open carry' in the evenings and very late evenings/mornings. Just the sight of a .40-caliber on the hip has sent a lot of 'strangers' walking the other way."

And he adds parenthetically: "Yes, 'open carry' is legal in Louisiana."

That well illustrates the lack of confidence in the NOPD and its failure to keep our neighborhoods safe.

Word on the street: Big Chief Warren Riley, largely blamed for the inept leadership that has left the NOPD floundering, may not be around that much longer. The rumors circulating is that he only has to hold on until the end of November and he'll have 3 years in as chief, which means he can retire at his full salary ($172,000 a year).

Then Mayor Nagin, rumor has it, will appoint Asst. Chief Marlon Defillo as the new superintendent. I worked with Defillo on the Mayor's Transition Taskforce for Public Safety in 2002 and I found him to be intelligent, well spoken, and not at all plagued by the insecurities that have handicapped Riley.

Quiz the DA candidates: Though we've received no official notice of it, we hear there's a forum Wednesday (8.20.08) where the 4 candidates for Orleans Parish District Attorney will meet face to face in a question-and-answer session moderated by Dennis Woltering of WWL-TV.

The forum will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Royal Orleans Hotel in the 600 block of St. Louis Street.

All 4 candidates are expected to attend: Linda Bizzarro, Leon Cannizzaro, Ralph Capitelli, and Jason Williams.

The key question to ask might be, "What will you do, if elected, to reverse the trend of previous DAs in refusing more charges than are accepted for prosecution?"

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

Thom Kahler

They're not all getting away with it

Deal or no deal: As a white man was opening the door of his car in the 800 block of Dumaine Street at about 9:56 p.m. Sunday evening (8.10.08), 2 black guys on bicycles rode up, one of them pulled a pistol and demanded the car keys.

The car owner turned them over and the punks got in and started the car. But apparently the duo failed drivers' ed along with most other things in life and were thwarted by the car's manual transmission. The victim then offered them money in exchange for the keys. The thieves took the deal and fled on their bicycles toward N. Rampart Street. The victim hopped in his car and followed the robbers.

The police captured Kendrick Burbank, 27, 5'6" tall, weighing 150 pounds, at Bourbon and Ursulines streets.He was charged with carjacking and possession of stolen property--the case the victim had given him: $62. He is being held on $160,000 bond in OPP. His cohort, who is still on the loose, was described as the same height and weight.

Not so fast, dude: A white man was held up Saturday morning (8.9.08) at 4:20 a.m. while walking near Dauphine and St. Louis streets by a black man who approached him from the rear and pushed what seemed like a gun in his back, demanding his money. The victim complied, but when the thief fled on foot, the victim took after him.

Police shortly thereafter apprehended Dameon J. Brown, 32, and charged him with armed robbery, possession of stolen property (almost $300), and flight from an officer. He is being held in OPP on $104,500 bond.

What's with being out at 4 a.m.: Last week it seemed victims were getting knocked off around 2 a.m.; this week it's 4 a.m. There's something about that hour that also seems to dull the ability of victims to describe their attackers:

• A white man was walking near the corner of Gov. Nicholls and Bourbon streets around 4 a.m. Friday (8.8.08) when he was accosted by 2 or 3 black dudes who pushed him to the ground and took his wallet. The robbers fled on Bourbon toward Esplanade Avenue. The victim couldn't give a description of the thieves.

That corner, you might remember, is where an alleged murderer pulled out a shotgun and robbed a white couple just 3 weeks before, albeit earlier in the evening.

• A couple of white guys were walking in the 600 block of Toulouse Street around 4 a.m. Sunday (8.10.08) when they were jumped from behind by 5 or 6 black thugs. The gangsters punched the victims in the back of the head and demanded money. The victims gave up their loot but couldn't give a description of the robbers.

Taking a stab at it: A gutter punk attacked a white guy about 8:29 p.m. Sunday evening (8.10.08) in the 1000 block of Decatur Street while the victim was walking with a group of friends. The punk, also white, and his girlfriend began hustling the group for money. When they refused to give them any, the punk pulled a knife and stabbed the victim in the leg. The victim's friends grabbed the assailant and held him until police arrived. Arrested was Steven Law, 25, 5'8" tall, weighing 170 pounds, and charged him with aggravated battery.

With friends like that: A white guy returning to his apartment in the 1300 block of Royal Street at about 10:35 p.m. Friday (8.8.08) was confronted by his roommate. The 2 began arguing and the roommate pulled a knife and allegedly stabbed the victim. The police issued an arrest warrant for Obie Goodman, 30, and caught up with him just after noon yesterday (8.11.08) and booked him for aggravated battery.

When cars are outlawed, only outlaws will have cars: A 33-year-old black man from Slidell was walking near the intersection of Pauger and N. Rampart streets in the Marigny Triangle shortly after 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning (8.10.08) when a car purposely ran him over--and over a couple more times, for good measure. The man, Devin Legaux, was dead on the scene.

Detectives learned the victim was walking with another man when the driver of a vehicle that couldn't muster much of a description from witnesses at the scene. The driver fled on northbound N. Rampart toward Elysian Fields Avenue.

Homicide Detective Brian Pollard is in charge of the investigation. He can be reached at 658-5300. Detectives are in the process of gathering information on the identity of the suspect(s) and vehicle involved in this incident.

Citizens with information that can help solve this crime are asked to call Crimestoppers at 822-1111. You could receive a cash reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the responsible person(s). You do not have to give your name nor testify to receive the reward.

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

Thom Kahler

We should be afraid, very afraid

Crime big time: Sometimes it's easy to think of the armed robbers attacking the French Quarter as rather harmless little punks. But this case should show just how dangerous they are:

A week ago Wednesday (7.30.08), the NOPD arrested Alonzo Gonzales, 18, after a gun battle in Gert Town in which Gonzales was wounded. When all the charges were tallied up, Gonzales was accused of the murder of a Slidell contractor in Broadmoor, attempted murder of 5 police officers, and 2 armed robberies--which happened less than 2 weeks before in the French Quarter.

In that robbery on 7.18.08, a white couple walking on Bourbon Street at 10:15 p.m. was accosted by a shotgun-toting thug as they crossed Gov. Nicholls Street. They surrendered their money and the robber hopped into a black Ford Mustang that was waiting on Bourbon. The getaway car fled down Barracks Street toward N. Rampart Street.

The robber was described as in his 20's, 6'1" tall, weighing 170 pounds, with medium twists in his hair, wearing a black tank top and dark shorts. When 8th District detectives showed the victims a photographic line-up, they positively identified Gonzalez as the man who robbed them. He was booked Wednesday (8.6.08) with 2 counts of armed robbery.

Gonzales is being held without bond in the 1st degree murder of the contractor and on bonds totaling over $3 million for the other charges.

Gonzales' buddy, Brent M. Braneon Sr., 19, is charged with similar crimes.

The French Quarter victims were fortunate this kid didn't turn killer 2 weeks earlier. He could have fired that shotgun...

Same night as "Night Out Against Crime": Just 5 hours after allegedly holding up The Nail Place at 2024 St. Claude Ave. on Tuesday (8.5.08), Steven Atlow, 38, was arrested by 8th District detectives and charged him with 2 counts of armed robbery.

According to the police report, the proprietors of the shop, a black man and woman, were closing the business about 6:30 p.m. when 2 black dudes knocked on the door. The victims let them in and the perpetrators pulled handguns. One of the perps took the money from the open cash register drawer and the robbers fled on foot.

The detectives showed a photographic line-up later in the evening to the victims and they positively identified Atlow, 5'4" tall, weighing 135 pounds, as the robber. By 11:45 p.m., the detectives had picked up Atlow and booked him into OPP, where he's being held on $200,000 bond.

Now that's what I call a "Night Out Against Crime"!

Took longer, but they got him: It took almost 3 1/2 months, but 8th District detectives finally hauled in the guy they think robbed a man 4.19.08 in broad daylight at 2 p.m. at Dauphine and St. Ann streets.

Detectives showed a photographic line-up of black men to the white victim and he positively identified Gilbert Rollins as the man who came up to him and demanded money, which the victim gave to him. They charged Rollins on 7.30.08.

Rollins, 33, 5'10" tall, weighing 170 pounds, was originally booked on a host of charges, including drug trafficking (which was dismissed) and felon in possession of a firearm (which is pending). He's being held on $70,000 bond.

Surprise, surprise: We never thought they'd get this one because the woman who was robbed waited 2 days to report the crime. Well, they don't actually have the culprit, but 8th District detectives have issued an arrest warrant for Melvin Bland who they believe held up the woman on 7.16.08.

Bland, a 38-year-old black man, 6' tall, weighing 170 pounds, has convictions on drug charges and for prostitution and crimes against nature.

According to the police report, the white victim was standing outside 1431 Royal St. (between Kerlerec Street and Esplanade Avenue) at 2 a.m. when a black man came up and asked for a cigarette. He then pulled out a pistol and demanded her money. She complied and he fled on foot.

The victim positively identified Bland, who was described as 30 to 40 years old, 6' tall, weighing 170 pounds, withe short flat-top hair, wearing a purple button-down shirt over a black T-shirt.

Wouldn't it be nice if the police would publish a picture of a suspect when he's out running loose in our neighborhood? In this case, look for a snappy dresser, dressed as either a man or a woman.

Fuzzy thinking at its finest: Big Chief Warren Riley made a big deal this week in releasing the crime statistics for the first half of the year by saying murders were down compared to last year. By 2. Only 94 in 2008 versus 96 in 2007.

One of the reasons I don't get excited about crime stats is that differences don't matter if you're one of the group of 94 or 96. Dead is dead. But "dead is dead" at least keeps the police from fudging the figures. It's almost impossible to classify a homicide as something less, like a burglary, to make your figures look better.

But that's exactly what Riley's been doing this year--if you can't control crime in the city, you can at least control how they're reported.

• First, he lays out the "crimes per 100,000 residents", then wiggles and jiggles the population numbers this year versus last year. This makes the situation look better this year--on the presumption there are more people in the city, the number of crimes isn't as great as last year.

• Then Riley combines the 1st quarter stats with the 2nd quarter stats, issuing only figures for the 1st half--so you can't see if the situation improved or got worse in the past 3 months. Why didn't the NOPD issue stats separately for the second quarter as it usually does? A NOPD spokesman told the Times-Picayune "they were not available."

Uh, wouldn't that have been as simple as subtracting the 1st quarter figures from the combines 1st half figures? These are the people you trust to keep your city safe. Now you see why it isn't.

• When a crime isn't as clear-cut as a homicide, then Riley often calls it something else. Such as when an armed robbery is committed inside a house--like a "home invasion"--it's called an "aggravated burglary." This means even though armed robberies have soared for the year, the numbers would have been even worse if all the robbers were properly classified. And it allows the NOPD to classify the robberies as a "nonviolent" crime rather than a "violent" crime.

Sounds a lot better, doesn't it? Not so scary. Don't bet on it--what if it was your family being robbed at gunpoint in your own house by a gang of thugs?

Or here's a classic: After the NOPD first classified the shooting of a man 5 times last weekend in the French Quarter as "aggravated battery", the neighborhood was outraged, wondering why the shooter wasn't charged with attempted murder. This prompted a TV reporter to ask Riley at the crime stats news conference, "Are officers under-reporting crime, such as classifying an attempted murder as aggravated battery?"

Riley's response was unbelievable. Mustering all the logic only a SUNO education could instill, Riley replied: "If a person is shot and they do not die, it is an aggravated battery."

Uh, Big Chief, Mr. Riley, sir...wouldn't that be murder if he died? He didn't mention "attempted murder" at all.

Try a different approach: In case you missed it, the Wall Street Journal this week had an article entitled "Going After Crimes--and Guns," telling how Richmond, Va., was cleaning up its city by severely punishing any firearms offense. It's an effort even the NRA supports. Well worth reading. Maybe something that would work here if everyone would work together. You noticed that word "if."

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

Thom Kahler

VIEW from the street: What's going on when nothing's going on

Recently we noted the 8th District reported only one crime had occurred during the whole week. But the manager of a shop in the 100 block of Bourbon Street saw plenty in a week of observing life in just her block of the underbelly of the French Quarter. Here's what's going on when "nothing" is going on, according to Eleanor Lahey, manager of Hustler Hollywood, 111 Bourbon St., in her own words:

I was just reading about the NOPD only reporting one crime, and thought I would share the ones we witnessed or had to deal with last week.

7.24.08, 6 p.m.: A black male “bucket drummer” wearing a long white T-shirt with no sleeves and brown shorts who was playing his buckets on the side of Foot Locker (corner of Canal and Bourbon) got into a fight with a white woman whom he seemed to know. It got physical, and his friend was attempting to separate them. I called the cops, and they came by and shooed the woman away.

7.24.08, around 11 p.m.: A mid-40’s black male, dirty white T-shirt, denim pants, unshaven, with mid-length hair, wearing a black Georgia Bulldogs baseball cap, was caught shoplifting. We attempted to detain him for the police, but he took off. Another employee called the cops while I followed him to Iberville, hoping that the cops that are usually standing around on the corner would be there. When the shoplifter got off Bourbon, he started running towards Rampart.

I was unable to locate any police officers. When they arrived 5-10 minutes later, they told me that they were standing on the corner of Iberville and Bourbon, that I must have just not seen them.

While they were in the store, I noticed that there were quite a few shoe shines out hustling people, and I pointed this out to the officers, who watched them for awhile from within the store and then went outside and spoke with them.

7.25.08, 11:45 a.m.: We went outside and saw a black male, mid-50’s, with missing teeth, short unruly hair, ungroomed facial hair with a goatee, wearing an "I (heart) NO" shirt, green trousers. He was shoving several stacks of T-shirts--2 styles, 10-12 of each style--into a green duffle bag and a black and silver backpack. He was attempting to sell them to passers by. We could see that one of the styles was a skull with crossed swords Jolly Roger- design. The other had blue writing, but I couldn’t tell what it said.

These were not from our store, probably from one of the tourist trap stores. They were obviously from a snatch-and-grab, so we called the police. The officer responding ran him off, and then we went to speak to him. He stated that he couldn’t search the man's bags, even though we saw him conceal the merchandise, and that since we didn’t see him steal the shirts, nothing could be done. We asked our closest T-shirt shop neighbors if the shirts came from their stores, and no one claimed them. The officer said that if the store reported it, then they could get the guy, but otherwise, nothing.

7.25.08, around 6:30 p.m.: At least a dozen cops and many cop cars were in front of our building arresting a belligerent drunk. They maced him repeatedly, and put him in a car. He attempted to kick out the windows, so they pulled him back out and eventually got him in a car with bars over the windows.

We overheard a police supervisor yelling at the officers--we were able to gather that they’d done something wrong, but not what was done wrong. We heard the supervisor tell the officers that “all of their names were going on this."

7.26.08, around 1:30 a.m.: A drunk, clean-cut looking, white guy wearing a white T-shirt with black writing on it and jeans who was in our upstairs decided to try to break his way out onto the balcony. He hit the doors hard, and they partially opened, but he didn’t do any damage. I promptly him escorted out, as he muttered incoherent things. Then he wanted me to go outside with him to “prove a point”. I said no way, I’ll call the cops, scram.

He went outside, and I told several other employees to watch and make sure he didn’t re-enter the store, and went back upstairs to the customers I’d been talking with. Shortly after, this same guy started screaming Bible quotations through the door, and assaulted a customer who was coming into the store. Our staff immediately called the cops. They took 20 minutes to arrive, and the guy was gone.

7.27.08, early afternoon: One of the local juvenile delinquents (black, short--5’5”-ish, obese, walks with a limp) came in the store, hassled an employee, and then attempted to leave through the emergency exit door, setting off the alarm. After that, he was told not to return.

At around 9:30 p.m., he attempted to enter the store again and an employee told him he had to leave because he had been kicked out a previous night. The boy left the store, but he would not get off the sidewalk where he proceeded to continuously clap his hands loudly.

The police were called and they came, gave him a talking to, and shooed him away. We wanted to have this individual charged with trespassing, but the cops did not give us the opportunity to do so.

None of these events are earth-shattering, but their existence does prove that things are not being reported, so I decided they were worth sharing. Eleanor Lahey

Battery not charged

Getting it right, eventually: The neighborhood was in an uproar when police originally charged a culprit with aggravated battery after he allegedly pumped 7 or 8 shots into someone he apparently didn't care much for on Bienville Street near Decatur Street.

A witness heard the gunfire about 3:40 a.m.on Saturday morning (8.2.08) and saw a black dude shooting the victim, a 34-year-old black man, with a handgun.

The perpetrator fled on Clinton Street to Iberville Street toward N. Peters Street, with the witness in pursuit. As the perp crossed N. Peters, the witness flagged down a passing NOPD K-9 unit which apprehended the suspect at Bienville and Front streets and recovered the weapon used in the crime.

Arrested was Nathaniel Payton, 26, who has drug arrest after drug arrest, going back to nearly the turn of the century.

For some reason, the NOPD is cloaking this case in a lot of mystery. Initially, the NOPD's flak refused to release the suspect's name, noting that he was being "very uncooperative." (What? You act up and the police won't give you your 15 minutes of fame?)

But the flak did say they guy would be charged with aggravated battery, rather than attempted murder, which is what set the neighbors off, who were all over TV yesterday ranting at the NOPD.

When the suspect's name did become known, it was found he was booked with attempted 2nd-degree murder and resisting an officer, but that a charge of aggravated battery was dismissed for lack of evidence.

For some reason, Payton isn't shown as a guest in OPP. There are 2 guesses on this:

1) If he's as big a drug dealer as he appears to be from arrest records, he might have easily made the measly $80,000 bond put on him by Magistrate Rudy Gorrell; or,

2) the resisting an officer charge may have had to do with trying to get away from the K-9 dog, which might have taken a bite out of his butt, sending him to the hospital.

The police don't seem to know where he is. He might, of course, be back roaming the streets of the French Quarter again, seeking to settle other scores.

Hang on to your purses: A white woman walking in the 700 block of Fulton Street (between Julia and Notre Dame streets) on Sunday (8.3.08) at 4:30 a.m. was robbed of her purse when an older model white Lincoln Towncar pulled alongside of her and a black dude got out and grabbed her purse. The car fled down Fulton toward Canal Street.

The robber was described as 5'9" to 5"11" tall, with hair in dreadlocks, wearing a long white T-shirt and blue jeans.

Buck bagged?: A NOcrimeline subscriber reports that the police arrested a suspect Saturday morning (8.2.08) about 1 a.m. near her home at Pauger and Dauphine Streets who looked an awfully lot like one of the 2 black bucks who pulled off 2 armed robberies earlier in the week just a block or 2 from her home.

She said 3 cop cars converged on the intersection to take him down and seemed very happy to have collared the guy. Police won't say whether or not they think he's one of the culprits from the robberies at Royal and Frenchmen streets on Tuesday or at Royal and Touro streets on Wednesday.

No wonder we have car thieves: The DA has set loose 2 more car thieves by refusing to prosecute Patrick Porter and David Cobarruviaz, both 21.

It's another slap in the face to the efforts of 8th District officers Brandon Ludwig and Billy Tregle who arrested the duo at 4:48 a.m. 6.2.08 for breaking into cars at Decatur and Conti streets.

No wonder the Quarter is plagued with car windows broken out and the interiors pillaged. The DA--who's now going to be a judge--just doesn't take the crime seriously.

Is that all?: The arrest of the shooting suspect and the one pursesnatching listed above were the lone crimes reported by the 8th District since the middle of last week. If, indeed, those are the only crimes in the last 7 days, the 8th District ought to be crowing about their success in corralling crime.

I suspect there's much more we're not hearing about in the 8th District. In the 2nd District (Uptown) sends out an email on the crimes that happen there. It's hard to know if it's for each crime that occurs there, but I had no less than 27 of them on my computer this morning. Of course, the officer who sends them out usually forgets to put the date and time on them, so it's hard to know just what they cover. But judging by 27 reports, you wouldn't want to live Uptown.

Let NOcrimeline know what's happening near you in the Quarter, the Marigny Triangle and CBD. If we can't get prompt and complete reports from the 8th District, perhaps we can rely on residents to alert their neighbors to what's happening and help prevent them from becoming victims of crime.

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

Thom Kahler