More of the same

More pursesnatchings, natch: At least 2 pursesnatchings were reported over the weekend, but at least the cops caught one of the perps:

• Friday (10.17.08): A white woman was standing with a friend at Canal and Dauphine streets, by the Ritz-Carlton, at about midnight when a well-dressed, clean cut white guy came up and grabbed her purse from her hand.

He was described as about 30 years old, 5'7" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with short brown hair.

• Sunday (10.19.08): A white woman was walking in he 200 block of O'Keefe Avenue, near Tulane Avenue, just after midnight when a black guy came up behind her and grabbed her purse. He took off on foot toward Canal Street, but was apprehended by the police.

Arrested was Mikhail Singleton, 19. He managed to make his $5,000 bond the next day and is back on the streets.

Cat fight: A black chick out partying on Bourbon Street with some of her relatives around 4 a.m. Saturday (10.18.08) drew the eye of another black chick, who apparently found her very attractive.

The unknown woman made advances toward the victim, who told her admirer than she was not interested. The spurned woman became irate and pursued the victim's entourage as they tried to get back to their car. At the corner of Bourbon and Iberville streets, the admirer caught up with her intended and a physical altercation ensued. Several other people joined the melee, and when it was all over, the victim realized she had been cut on her chest.

The attacker was identified as 5'4" tall, weighing 120 pounds, wearing a pink tank top, pink sweatshirt, and blue jeans.

Carjack arrest: Last Wednesday (10.15.08), the NOPD arrested Steven Lee, 17, for a carjacking the day before.

According to police, a black man was sitting inside his vehicle at about 2:14 a.m. Tuesday (10.14.08) at the intersection of Canal and S. Rampart streets when 2 black dudes came up and one pulled a pistol and demanded the driver get out of his car.

In a photographic line-up, the victim positively identified Lee, 5'6" tall, weighing 160 pounds, as one of the perpetrators. Police are still looking for Lee's accomplice, who was described as 17 to 19 years of age, 5'10" tall, weighing 180 pounds, wearing a black T-shirt and dark jeans.

Crime elsewhere: The 8th District is not the only area of New Orleans to suffer from crime. Consider:

• 2nd District: This Uptown neighborhood has been hit hard lately by all sorts of crime, and Maj. Bruce Little--who not too many years ago was a sergeant running the 8th District's taskforce--has been put in charge of combating it.

Last Friday (10.17.08), his narcotics unit made a major drug bust, seizing approximately 20 pounds of marijuana and 16 compressed tablets of heroin, weighing 3.3 grams. Arrested were Curt D. Matherne, 40, whose last known address was 1205 St. Charles Ave., and Donna Kreppein, 40, whose last known address was 4320 Belvedere St., Metairie.

The 2nd District, which usually publishes the most through and regular reports of any NOPD district, offered few details on this bust.

• 5th District: Within 12 minutes, a gunman on a bicycle robbed 6 victims in 3 hold-ups within 2 blocks of each other early Sunday (10.19.08) morning in the Faubourg Marigny.

• The first robbery occurred at 1:57 a.m. at Royal and Spain streets, where a 42-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were robbed when a black man rode up on a bicycle, pulled a gun, and demanded "give me everything you have," before riding off with the loot. (As one alert reader pointed out, Marais does not intersect Chartres--perhaps the lone officer, by the name of "Cador", who had to investigate all these robberies single-handedly, meant Marigny Street instead.)
  

• The second stick-up occurred at 2:02 a.m. at Burgundy Street and Franklin Avenue where a 25-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman encountered the same modus operendi.

• The third incident occurred at 2:09 a.m. at Burgundy and Spain streets in the same manner where the victims were a 33-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman.

Before the morning was out, police had arrested Michael Newton, 23, and charged him with 6 counts of armed robbery. He is being held in OPP on $900,000 bond.

We mistaken reported earlier that the 5th District does not publish reports of crime in its area. However, the district sends out an email blast every Wednesday detailing crimes for the week in the 5th. If you'd like to be on that list, contact Maj. Bernadine Kelly, commander of the 5th District, by email at bwkelly@cityofno.com or phone her at 658-6050.

More on carrying a gun: We reported last week on a local attorney who cited the appropriate law that allows citizens to carry guns.

Another prominent local lawyer, John Reed, has sought to clarify the issue further by saying, "It is only a crime if the weapon is concealed" but notes, "It is not easy to carry a weapon without concealing it."

He points out the critical issue in the law is the "intent to conceal." If you have a gun in a holster, with the gun plainly visible, he says, that is okay. But, he gives as an example, if a gentleman wearing a suit coat over a holstered gun on his belt, the weapon would be considered concealed.

What it all means, I would guess, is that you have more latitude than you think to carry a weapon in public, but to be on the safe side you should have a concealed weapons permit.

And some go to jail: In the past week, at least 3 miscreants got jail time for their crimes in the 8th District:

• Kerwin Duncan, 21, got 2 years in prison Friday (10.17.08) after pleading guilty to 2 pursesnatchings he committed over a year ago in the Lower French Quarter. But that sentence by Criminal District Court Judge Lynda Van Davis means he'll probably be on the street sooner than later, since he got credit for time served since he was arrested 9.18.07.
  

In one of the incidents, he snatched the purse of a 25-year-old white woman in the 1200 block of Royal Street on 9.18.07. The victim, who lives on Gov. Nicholls Street, was walking to her car when 2 black men came up behind her, pushed her against her car, and grabbed her wallet from under her arm.

He was also charged with an attack on a Harahan couple in their 40s on 9.11.07 on Dauphine Street near the Port of Call restaurant. One of the assailants slugged the man in the mouth while the other grabbed the woman's purse.

• Bobby Boone, 36, was sentenced last Wednesday (10.15.08) by Judge Arthur L. Hunter Jr. to 30 months in prison without parole after pleading guilty to attempted armed robbery.

He was charged with the robbery 3.6.08 at the Old Opera House Annex at 811 Toulouse St. He fled without any loot after the clerk screamed.

• Terrence Johnson, 21, after a whole host of charges were reduced, combined, or done away with, got a 6-month sentence from Judge Dennis Waldron after pleading guilty to aggravated assault.

Johnson was charged 5.10.08 after he allegedly pulled a pistol on a black gentleman in Chris Owens Club, 500 Bourbon St. The victim wrestled the gun away from Johnson and the police came and hauled the ruffian off.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Putting crime on the map

Crime maps at long last: Maybe it's just a coincidence, but after Scott Satchfield's report Monday night on WWL-TV about the NOPD's online crime maps not working, they were fully functional within 3 days on Thursday.

The maps, which are supposed to pinpoint and detail the location of each crime in the city, haven't been operational since the end of May. That lapse of almost 5 months must be embarrassing to Big Chief Warren Riley who bragged earlier in the year that his maps were the best in the country (they're not). But now they're supplying information on where crime's occurring, district by district, though the figures lag behind by about 2 weeks.

With this information now available, NOcrimeline has been able to update its tally of crimes this year compared to last year. A month-to-month breakdown of where crimes occurred in the 8th District is underway; the June report has just been posted and reports for July through September should be available soon.

Are they really crimefighters?: A lot of NOcrimeline readers were alarmed by the 2 armed robberies a little over a week ago in the 1300 block of Royal Street, so when the 8th District issued an arrest warrant for one of the suspects, it seemed like good news. The trouble is who knows what the suspect, Taurus Legendre, looks like?

Then on Tuesday, in a weekly feature in the Times-Picayune, the Metropolitan Crime Commission ran a wanted poster with Legendre's mugshot on it. Simple enough, we thought: We'll get the picture from the MCC's website.

But the website was 2 weeks out of date on its wanted poster, so we emailed the MCC asking if they could send us the picture. No, we were told, because the T-P supplies the pictures to the MCC.

Now wait a minute--doesn't that picture belong to the NOPD? Of course, and if it's public, what's wrong with getting it out in front of as many people as possible? It might actually help catch a crook.

So we tried Bob Young, the NOPD's public information officer, asking via email for Legendre's picture as well as that of another scofflaw. We never even got the courtesy of a response.

Do these guys want to catch criminals or not? They spend a lot of time talking about the "criminal justice system" (though "system" may be a misnomer) but when it comes to actually doing the heavy lifting, they've got a bad back.

By going though the back door, so to speak, we obtained a picture of Taurus Legendre. He's described as a black man, 26 years old, 5'11" tall, weighing 165 pounds, with short hair and medium complexion -- which probably describes hundreds of the brothers.

The other guy: The other mugshot we asked the NOPD for was that of Mark Melerine, for whom the 8th District has 2 arrest warrants out that charge him with 2 pursesnatchings.

The first one occurred 4.4.08 at 1:25 a.m. in the 100 block of N. Peters Street. (His alleged accomplice in that crime is Randal A. Campo, 40, who missed his date in court early last month and is on the loose.)

The second one occurred 4.29.08 in the middle of the day, 12:25 p.m., in the 1300 block of Bourbon Street.

Mark Melerine has managed to skate through Criminal District Court, where weapons charges were dismissed by the DA in July and in August--well after the arrest warrants for robbery were issued. If he was in court, why weren't the warrants served then?

He is described as a white male, 34 years old, 5'11" tall, weighing 180 pounds. Considering his long history with the NOPD--including an arrest for simple robbery the DA refused to prosecute--the NOPD undoubtedly has his mugshot on file. So why not show it and let citizens help get this scumbag off the street?

Is that all there is?: Not much, but here's what the 8th District is reporting in the way of crime:

• Carjacking, Tuesday (10.14.08): A black man was sitting inside his vehicle at about 2:14 a.m. at the intersection of Canal and S. Rampart streets when 2 black dudes, one of whom pulled a pistol, demanded he get out of his car. He did and the robbers sped off in his car down N. Rampart Street.

In a photographic line-up shown to the victim, he positively identified Steven Lee, 17, 5'6" tall, weighing 160 pounds. An arrest warrant was issued for Lee.

Police are also still looking for the second thief, who was described as 17 to 19 years of age, 5'10" tall, weighing 180 pounds, wearing a black T-shirt and dark jeans.

• Simple robbery, Tuesday (10.14.08): A white man walking at 2:30 a.m. in the 900 block of Bourbon Street (between St. Philip and Dumaine streets) was assaulted from behind by black guy who pushed him to the ground and took his wallet.

The robber is described at 6'2" tall, weighing 225 pounds.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Harrowing heroism

Cops make it worse: Put this one in the "no good deed goes unpunished" file: On Sunday afternoon, while most good citizens were inside watching the Saints beat the crap out of the Raiders, a resident of the 1100 block of Dauphine Street (between Ursulines and Gov. Nicholls streets) stepped out of his house to find 3 women beating the crap out of each other--and then one pulled out a pistol.

That's when Kurt Goodman, who was out to walk his 2 dogs, called 911.

As the fight broke up and the gun-toting woman fled, Goodman, 37, followed her at a safe distance and gave the 911 operator turn-by-turn directions on her path of escape.

At one point the woman spotted Goodman and told him to stop following her. Then she ducked into a courtyard at 1128 Burgundy St. but was chased out by a real estate agent who was showing the property. Then she tried to hide in a private parking lot in the 1100 block of N. Rampart Street and was spotted by an owner there who ran her off. She again spotted Goodman and screamed at him to stop following her.

Meanwhile, Goodman wondered: Where the hell are the cops? It seemed to him like it's been an eternity since he called--15 minutes is a long time when you're in danger. (In truth, his first call was received by the 911 operator at 2:06 p.m., a unit was dispatched at 2:08 p.m., and officers arrived on the scene at 2:12 p.m.)

When the police arrived, Goodman was at the corner of N. Rampart and Ursulines, and pointed the woman out who was in the lot of the gas station at N. Rampart and Gov. Nicholls. That's when it turned ugly--not for the woman, but for Goodman.

"I would like to say that this event ended with the police getting a gun off the streets, and hauling a criminal off to jail," Goodman said. "It was not to be. Soon, the officers waived me over to them. One officer approached me and demanded my ID. The officer said that the woman says I had attempted to rape her!

"The officer raked me over the coals repeatedly making the accusation that I had touched her. I kept trying to tell the officer everything that had happened, but he wasn't listening. I asked the officer how I was supposed to touch her with a cellphone in one hand dialed to 911, and 2 dogs in the other."

The officers said they didn't find a gun on the woman. "I told officer that if she didn't have the gun on her, that it could only be in one of 2 places...(and) that I would be happy to show them both of the locations she entered to hide. The officer refused, and told me to go."

The result is Goodman feels let down by the NOPD. "The police constantly say that they can't solve crimes because people won't step up and help them out. Well, I stepped up. I put myself in danger and followed an armed person for 15 minutes. I offered to lead the police to where they would find a gun. In the end, I was only made to feel like I shouldn't have bothered."

An investigation has been launched into the behavior of the officers from the 8th District, which has been plagued by rogue and rude cops. Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the district which encompasses the French Quarter, who launched the investigation, says, "if the officers failed to act appropriately, they will be disciplined."

He dispatched Lt. Eddie Selby, head of the district's investigative unit, to meet with Goodman and learn the locations where the gun could have been ditched. Lt. Selby sent a detective to search the areas, but no gun was found.

Maj. Hosli has personally spoken with Goodman and wants to meet with him to explain what his investigation turns up.

Lock and load: A local attorney, after researching the law, has told the victim in an attempted hold-up who shot at his assailant last Spring that it appears he's got the right to carry a weapon for protection--without a permit.

The citizen (known only as Eric) has been pestering Maj. Hosli, most recently in last week's NONPAC meeting, for an answer on what would happen to him if 8th District officers caught him carrying his Smith & Wesson .38 for protection while escorting his friend to work late at night in the Quarter.

Frank J. D'Amico, a noted local attorney, says his research shows that a state law (State v. Fluker) allows the carrying of a partially concealed weapon--such as a handgun in a holster worn on a belt--without a "concealed weapon" permit.

The court ruling in 1975, and substantiated by an attorney general's opinion (78-795) in 1978, is still the law. D'Amico concluded the ruling "has been cited on numerous occasions and has not been overturned."

(By the way, we erred on the sentence given to the would-be robber Eric shot at 4 times--and missed--in the 500 block of Burgundy Street in April. Bruce A. Jones, 26, who pled guilty 10.2.08 to aggravated assault, was sentenced to 2 months of house arrest.)

Did you see the article in USA Today on Wednesday: "FBI: Justifiable homicides at highest rate in more than a decade"?

Utopia shows once again it isn't: It keeps reminding you of that scene out of the movie "Animal House" where some unsavory dudes come up to the frat boys and say, "We wanna dance wit yore dates." Except there the outcome was more amicable than the episodes that seem to occur repeatedly at Utopia Night Club, 227 Bourbon St.

A year ago, 5 people wound up getting stabbed following an altercation that began in the club when one man allegedly hit on another man's girl. A year before that, a guy gunned down a good Samaritan, who had come to the defense of a couple women in the club, when he left Utopia.

Last Friday, it happened again. A white man was dancing with his girlfriend about 11 p.m. when a Hispanic man came up and wanted to dance with the woman. The boyfriend told him his advances weren't wanted, at which point the interloper's 2 buddies stuck the boyfriend with a bottle and a chair, knocking him to the ground and the other man punched him.

Police reported arresting 3 men, but only Rafael Lopez (left), 38, and Luis Tablas (right), 25, showed up in court records, charged with aggravated battery.

Still at large: The black guy who robbed 3 people last Friday in the 1300 block of Royal Street is still at large.

Still running the streets and wanted for armed robbery is Taurus Legendre, 26, 5'11" tall, weighing 165 pounds, with short hair and a medium complexion. He escaped in a tan-colored car.

He was positively identified from a photo line-up as the gunman who robbed 2 women, both 24, and a man, 27, at gunpoint at about 12:01 a.m. 10.10.08 of their 2 purses and a wallet.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Royal treatment

Unlucky number--1300: For the second time in 3 days, there's been a robbery in the 1300 block of Royal Street (between Barracks Street and Esplanade Avenue).

Early yesterday morning (10.10.08), 2 women, both 24, and a man, 27, were held up at gunpoint at about 12:01 a.m. by a man who hopped out of a car. He got away with their 2 purses and a wallet.

That information comes courtesy of the Times-Picayune. The 8th District didn't send out a report and won't have details until Monday morning.

Hardly comforting news to residents of the French Quarter who'll be walking around for 4 days not knowing there's another dangerous street to avoid.

We do know an arrest warrant has been issued for a black man, Taurus Legendre, 26. But, of course, we don't know what he looks like because no picture was released--does that mean we should just fear all black men we encounter in the Quarter?

On Wednesday (10.8.08), 5 black boys on bicycles tried to hold up a woman walking in he same block at about 6:28 p.m. When the woman realized their weapon was only a cigarette lighter shaped like a gun, she fled. The police managed to arrest 3 of the young thugs, 13,14, and 15 years of age.

That, of course, means there are 2 more young punks still out there--as dangerous as the ones apprehended.

Bleeder's attacker arrested: Police arrested Keith Sandridge, 39, on Thursday (10.9.08) and charged him with aggravated 2nd-degree battery for allegedly stabbing a man in the arm 9.24.08 at Chartres and Barracks streets.

The victim who wandered around the Lower Quarter after the 4 a.m. assault, leaving a meandering trail of blood, was finally located by police at Bourbon and Barracks streets.

Sandridge, 6'1" tall, weighing 210 pounds, allegedly fled on a bicycle with a white bucket on the front. He is being held in OPP on $25,000 bond.

Shooter goes free: Just because you're involved in a gangland-type shooting doesn't mean you're going to have to face the music in court.

Jarrell Kendrick, 22, who was charged with attempted 2nd-degree murder for a shoot'em up in the 300 block of Dauphine Street in June will not be prosecuted by the DA who couldn't produce a key witness.

Kendrick was arrested 6.19.08 for a shooting 3 days earlier in the early morning hours near the Chateau LeMoyne Hotel in which he allegedly pumped off 5 or 6 shots from a 9mm handgun, leaving a 31-year-old black man severely wounded.

According to the police report, the victim was walking down the street at 3:39 a.m. when he heard someone shouting at him. He turned around and saw a black dude he knew only by his first name pointing a pistol at him. The gunman began firing and hit the victim in the left hip and thigh. The victim was taken to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition. The shooter fled in a silver-colored vehicle.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Crime, day and night

Teen gangs terrorizing again: Just when you thought last year's reign of terror by teen gangs was over, young punks have taken to the streets again.

Yesterday (10.8.08) a white woman walking in the 1300 block of Royal Street (between Barracks Street and Esplanade Avenue) in broad daylight at 6:28 p.m. when she was accosted by 5 black boys on bicycles.

One of them pulled what appeared to be a gun and demanded money. When the victim realized the weapon was only a cigarette lighter shaped like a gun, she took off running.

Within minutes, the police managed to round up 3 of the punks and arrest them. But because they are juveniles--aged 13, 14, and 15 years old--police cannot release their names. Wouldn't want to damage their tender, young psyches.

Frito Bandito?: You'd have to be fairly old to remember that character from the Fritos ads, but a modern-day one may be on the prowl.

Seems the same burglar has hit Tomatillo's, a Mexican restaurant at 437 Esplanade Ave. (corner of Decatur Street), at least 4 times in the past couple of weeks.

The thief first struck 9.25.08, then 4 days later on 9.29.08, each time carting off several bottles of liquor and beer. the next night (9.30.08), he took a bicycle. Then he returned the very next night (10.1.08) and took more liquor and beer, plus another bicycle.

The restaurant manager, Shannon Solomon, said the thief even showed up once while people were still in the restaurant. How does she know what he looks like? She has surveillance video of him in action (picture above). Sounds like you need to go the extra step in crime prevention, Shannon--say a 12-gauge shotgun. And better locks for the doors?

(The 8th District NOPD didn't bother to put out a report about this--confirming they're not telling us anywhere near all that is happening in our neighborhood. Be careful of what you don't know.)

That late night trouble again: 3 victims learned the hard way that the French Quarter is no place to be in the early morning hours this past weekend:

• Aggravated assault, Saturday (10.4.08), 2:20 a.m.: A black man standing on the corner of Bourbon and St. Louis streets was approached by another black man who got into a verbal altercation with him. The verbal assailant left, but returned a short time later with a pistol and pointed it at the victim and then ran away.

Police arrested Torray Thomas, 24, 5'7" tall, weighing 130 pounds, and charged him with aggravated assault. He is being held in OPP on $20,000 bond.

• Pursesnatching, Saturday (10.4.08), 4:40 a.m.: A white woman was standing at the corner of Burgundy and Conti streets when a black man rode up on a bicycle and grabbed her purse.

Described as wearing a black T-shirt, denim shorts and black sneakers, the robber rode up Conti toward N. Rampart Street.

• Pursesnatching, Sunday (10.5.08), 3:40 a.m.: A white woman was standing inside Razzoo Club & Patio, 511 Bourbon St., when a black man came up and grabbed her purse.

Police arrested Emery Thompson, 51, 5'7" tall, weighing 145 pounds, and charged him with pursesnatching, public drunkedness, and parole violation. He is being held in OPP on $22,500 bond.

Broad daylight no better: A white woman walking in the 1000 block of St. Philip Street (between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets) on Tuesday (10.7.08) about 6 p.m. was pushed to the ground by a black thug who demanded her money. When she complied, he fled toward N. Rampart.

She described him as in his 30's, 5'10" tall, weighing 170 pounds, with short hair, unshaven, and wearing a T-shirt with a skull on it.

Bleeder's assailant: The victim who spewed prodigious amounts of his blood over a vast area of the Lower French Quarter after being stabbed in the arm a couple of weeks ago has managed to pick his assailant out of a photographic line-up.

Police said at the time that the victim "does not remember the events immediately before the attack" when they found him at Barracks and Bourbon streets, then determined he actually had been stabbed at Barracks and Chartres streets at about 4 a.m. on 9.24.08.

He did tell the cops he had been stabbed by a black guy who fled on a bicycle with a white bucket on the front.

The police have issued an arrest warrant for Keith Sandridge, 39, 6'1" tall, weighing 210 pounds. (If the NOPD would just supply a picture, residents of the community just might be able to help them apprehend him.)

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Scales of justice gyrating

Going away for a long time: It was one crime too many for Oneil Carter. The 21-year-old man from Harvey is going away for 25 years as a "multiple offender" (read "career criminal").

Criminal District Court Judge Frank A. Marullo Jr. sentenced Carter last Friday (10.3.08) to 25 years "without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension."

Carter was convicted in August of the robbery more than a year before of Aimee Stuit, 37, and Justin Dragonas at Touro and Royal streets in the Marigny Triangle.

Carter's buddy, Eric Gentris, 19, was found guilty in December of the robbery and was sentenced to 7 years in prison, even though he was the gunman. But he made a deal with the DA to testify against Carter, who was the getaway driver.

Apparently, though, Judge Marullo considered Carter a bad influence on this younger accomplice. In sentencing Carter he order that Carter "must never be placed in the same facility" as Gentris.

What netted Carter the career criminal tag is that he was on parole from Jefferson Parish for an armed robbery there in 2004 when he was 17.

Slap on the wrist: Bruce A. Jones, 26--the guy who almost got blown away by his would-be victim last April--finally got his day in court last Thursday (10.2.08) after police once again apprehended him 9.25.08 after he skipped court.

I don't know why he went to the trouble of forfeiting his $3,000 bond--after pleading guilty to aggravated assault he got 2 months of house arrest.

Jones was due to stand trial on the charge 9.11.08 but failed to show up at Tulane and Broad. He was arrested 4.8.08 after he allegedly accosted a guy in the 500 block of Burgundy Street at 12:30 a.m. According to the victim, Jones "reached under his shirt and started to point a very large gun at me."

The victim who had just been robbed the week before at Burgundy and Bienville streets, pulled out his Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver and fired 4 shots at the other gunman, missing him each time.

Jones fled and the victim chased him down. When police arrived, Jones was laying face down in the gutter and begging the victim not to shoot him. Police originally also charged Jones with carrying a concealed weapon, but the DA dropped that charge.

Robberies, what robberies?: Just 5 hours after allegedly holding up The Nail Space at 2024 St. Claude Ave. on 8.5.08, Steven Atlow, 38, was arrested by 8th District detectives and charged with 3 counts of armed robbery.

But--you guessed it--on Monday (10.6.08) the DA dropped all the charges, despite the victims positively identifying Atlow from a photographic line-up the detectives showed them.

According to the police report, the proprietors of the nail 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.

In the photographic line-up detectives showed them, the victims positively identified Atlow, 5'4" tall, weighing 135 pounds, as the robber. By 11:45 p.m., the detectives had picked up Atlow. So why did the DA cut him loose?

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Silence of the lamb?

Victim not talking: A violent incident over the weekend caused enough of a stir to prompt inquiries from NOcrimeline readers, but the victim wants to forget about it.

One woman said a severely beaten man, stumbled toward Harry's Corner and collapsed unconscious in the 600 block of Dumaine Street (between Chartres and Royal streets) Saturday night between 8 and 9 p.m. while the bar patrons were watching the LSU game. A tourist came into the bar and asked if anyone knew the man "...bleeding to death on the corner."

They found the man bleeding profusely from his mouth with a gash on the back of his head. The linings of his pockets were turned out and he was clutching his ID in his hand as he laid on the sidewalk.

The woman recognized the victim from the neighborhood and said she believed his name was "Scott" and that he was a Tulane Hospital anesthesiologist who had moved recently from Barracks Street to the Warehouse District.

There was no police report on the incident, but Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, dispatched detectives to the hospital where the victim had been taken by ambulance.

Maj. Hosli personally spoke with the man this morning (10.1.08). He gave Hosli details of what happened, and said he had not been robbed. He told Hosli he cannot identify any of his assailants and does not want to file a police report. Hosli told the man if he changes his mind to call him and gave him his cellphone number.

The NOPD, which is often criticized for not reporting all the crimes in the French Quarter, certainly can't be criticized in this case. I'd say Maj. Hosli bent over backward to accommodate the victim.

The victim, however, by refusing to file a report and tell his neighbors about what happened--no mater how unpleasant--leaves all of us as potential victims to what's lurking out there.

Bar robber convicted: A 19-year-old boy, who was suspected in a string of armed robberies of bars in the Lower Quarter and Marigny Triangle around Christmas time last year, was convicted yesterday (9.30.08) by a jury on one count of armed robbery with a firearm.

Terrell Anderson will be sentenced on 11.12.08 by Criminal District Court Judge Camille Buras.

After Anderson was arrested for a robbery Uptown the day after Christmas, 8th District detective Jason Giroir noted the similarity in the description of Anderson with the ones given by victims in the robbery of John Paul's Bar, The John, and Cosimo's.

Anderson has a criminal record going back to when he was 17, with arrests for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and then for possession with intent to distribute heroin. In both cases, formed DA Eddie Jordan failed to bring charges against the punk, giving him time to hone his skills as an armed robber.

Kicking it down a notch: When 8th District detectives busted Anthony Fields on 7.12.07, they had enough to charge him with 3 counts of armed robbery, 2 counts of robbery with a firearm, and one count each of felon with a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

By the time he pled guilty last Thursday (9.25.08), his attorney had weaseled all those charges down to just 2: simple robbery and carrying a concealed weapon.

Criminal District Court Judge Camille Buras gave him 4 years in prison for the robbery and 6 months for the weapon, to run concurrent with the 4 years and with credit for time served.

Considering he's already been in jail for almost 15 months, those other 33 months will seem like nothing and we'll soon see Anderson on the street again.

Anderson, 22, was suspected in a string of armed robberies, but was suspected in a string of armed robberies, specifically these:

• 1424 Royal St. (on the Marigny side of Esplanade Avenue) on 7.12.07 at 12:55 a.m.: A trio of 24-year-old white men where walking along Royal when a black man came up behind them and stuck a black semi-automatic pistol in their backs. He ordered them to put their hands upagainst the wall as he removed their wallets from their pants' pockets. He then ordered the victims to lay on the ground as he fled up Esplanade toward the river.
  

• Burgundy and Barracks streets on 6.29.07 at 2:33 a.m.: Two 24-year-old white guys were walking down Burgundy toward Esplanade Avenue when they were robbed by 2 black guys with revolvers.

The DA had shots at Fields twice before but let him slip though the cracks until he became a full-fledged felon. In 2003, the DA refused to prosecute Fields for possession of a stolen auto. Then after Fields was arrested in 2005 for simple robbery and his case dragged through the court for 2 years, he decided not to prosecute Fields.

Violence be damned: Louis A Gordon, who was charged with a particularly vicious robbery on Bourbon Street last year, is walking the streets again after getting his case reduced to practically nothing.

Gordon, 20, is the guy who was charged after he clobbered his victim while robbing him in the 100 block of Bourbon Street on 6.22.07 and putting the victim in a coma. Initially charged with 2nd-degree battery and 2nd-degree robbery, the battery charge was refused by the DA.

But when the case got to court a week ago (9.23.08), the robbery charge was bargained down to the original battery charge and Gordon pled guilty.

Judge Frank A. Marullo Jr. sentenced him to 3 years in prison but suspended the sentence, put him on 5 years probation and ordered Gordon to pay victim restitution of $5,000, with no less than $200 paid every month, plus $55 probation supervision fee. Sounds to me like Gordon will have to resort to crime just to pay those fees.

Gunman goes free: The DA has refused to prosecute Eugene McGee, 17, who was arrested 6.15.08 at 1:45 a.m. in the 500 block of Bourbon Street by Ofc. Valentino Grayman of the Bourbon Street Promenade on charges of carrying an illegal weapon and possession of stolen property.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Crime maps available again

After being out of operation for over 4 months, the NOPD's crime maps are available again. How accurate or up to date they are is another matter. But we've been able to compile the crimes reported in the 8th District from the map, the locations, and dates for the following months:

June 2008

July 2008

August 2008

September 2008

The NOPD crime maps currently lag behind incidents by about 3 weeks.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Crimes reported: September 2008

This is a revised list of the crimes reported during September, 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 now the time the crimes occurred. (Originally, the NOPD reported only 92 crimes for 2008 versus the 187 in 2007. The NOPD eventually revised the number for 2008 up by 27 to 119.)

Armed robbery
9/09/08, 1:27 p.m., 200 S. Robertson St., gun
9/14/08, 1:35 a.m., 400 Bourbon St.
9/15/08, 4:50 a.m., Iberville St. & Bourbon St., gun
9/16/08, 7:10 a.m., 1000 Chartres St., carjacking
9/21/08, 4:45 a.m., Royal St. & Frenchmen St., attempted, gun
9/28/08, 5:00 a.m., 700 Common St., gun

Simple robbery
9/12/08, 2:30 a.m., Bourbon St. & St. Ann St., pickpocketing
9/13/08, 2:00 a.m., 400 Bourbon St., pickpocketing
9/14/08, 2:33 a.m., 900 Dauphine St.
9/26/08, 5:40 a.m., 500 Bourbon St., pickpocketing
9/27/08, 5:02 a.m., 300 Royal St.
9/28/08, 11:00 p.m., 800 Common St.
9/28/08, 1:30 p.m., 1500 Poydras St., pickpocketing
9/28/08, 2:20 p.m., Magazine St. & Girod St., pursesnatching

Assault & battery
9/07/08, 4:00 p.m., Poydras St. & O'Keefe Ave., aggravated assault
9/07/08, 1:16 a.m., 500 Conti St., aggravated battery (cutting)
9/09/08, 6:15 a.m., Howard Ave. & S. Rampart St., aggravated assault
9/09/08, 6:40 p.m., 900 Conti St., aggravated assault
9/14/08, 6:20 p.m., St. Louis St. & Bourbon St., aggravated battery
9/20/08, 8:45 p.m., 1100 Canal St., aggravated battery (cutting)
9/21/08, 2:36 a.m., 300 Poydras St., aggravated assault
9/24/08, 4:00 a.m., Chartres St. & Barracks St., aggravated battery (cutting)
9/28/08, 5:02 a.m., Iberville St. & Burgundy St., attempted murder

Burglary
9/01/08, 3:41 a.m., 1000 Bienville St., business
9/09/08, 5:30 p.m., 400 Dauphine St., residence
9/10/08, 6:00 p.m., 1400 Chartres St., residence
9/15/08, 10:00 p.m., 1000 Magazine St., business
9/25/08, 1:00 a.m., 400 Esplanade Ave., business
9/29/08, 5:19 a.m., 400 Esplanade Ave., business
9/29/08, 4:00 a.m., 1300 Decatur St., business

Theft
9/04/08, 11:00 a.m., 2000 N. Rampart St.
9/04/08, 12:00 p.m., 700 Commerce St.
9/05/08, 10:15 a.m., 600 Gravier St.
9/05/08, 5:00 a.m., 100 Carondelet St.
9/06/08, 2:20 a.m., 300 Dauphine St.
9/06/08, 2:00 p.m., 1000 Loyola Ave.
9/07/08, 3:53 p.m., 300 Canal St., shoplifting
9/08/08, 12:45 p.m., 600 Bourbon St.
9/08/08, 4:25 p.m., 1100 Decatur St., shoplifting
9/08/08, 4:45 p.m., 300 Canal St., shoplifting
9/09/08, 1:00 a.m., 800 Julia St.
9/09/08, 1:19 p.m., 200 Royal St.
9/10/08, 12:30 a.m., 1300 Poydras St.
9/10/08, 11:41 a.m., 100 Royal St., shoplifting
9/10/08, 2:30 p.m., 700 Royal St., shoplifting
9/12/08, 2:30 a.m., 300 Poydras St.
9/13/08, 4:40 p.m., 100 Bourbon St., shoplifting
9/13/08, 7:30 p.m., 400 Bourbon St., shoplifting
9/14/08, 2:00 a.m., 400 Bourbon St.
9/14/08, 3:00 a.m., 300 St. Charles St.
9/14/08, 3:00 p.m., 200 Camp St.
9/14/08, 12:15 a.m., 800 Toulouse St.
9/17/08, 4:30 a.m., 700 Howard Ave.
9/18/08, 10:15 a.m., Constance St. & Poeyfarre St.
9/18/08, 10:58 a.m., 2000 N. Rampart St.
9/18/08, 2:00 a.m., 700 St. Peter St., bicycle
9/21/08, 5:06 a.m., 300 O'Keefe Ave.
9/22/08, 4:30 p.m., 800 Iberville St., bicycle
9/24/08, 12:01 p.m., 100 Elk Pl.
9/24/08, 12:00 p.m., 700 Commerce St.
9/26/08, 11:30 p.m., 200 Bourbon St.
9/26/08, 2:10 a.m., Canal St.
9/26/08, 10:00 p.m., 300 Canal St., bicycle
9/27/08, 4:55 p.m., 1100 Decatur St., shoplifting
9/29/08, 7:00 p.m., Poydras St.
9/29/08, 11:30 p.m., 300 Decatur St., bicycle

Auto theft
9/05/08, 5:45 p.m., 300 Loyola Ave.
9/06/08, 12:30 p.m., 1000 Loyola Ave.
9/07/08, 8:00 p.m., 200 St. Charles St.
9/07/08, 5:00 p.m., 900 St. Peter St.
9/07/08, 1:30 a.m., Burgundy St. & Bienville St.
9/08/08, 11:00 a.m., O'Keefe Ave. & Girod St.
9/08/08, 2:00 p.m., 300 Canal St.
9/08/08, 11:00 a.m., O'Keefe Ave. & Girod St.
9/09/08, 8:00 a.m., 900 Orleans Ave.
9/11/08, 1:00 a.m., 500 Baronne St.
9/12/08, 1:30 a.m., Royal St. & Touro St.
9/12/08, 3:00 a.m., St. Joseph St. & Tchoupitoulas St., attempted
9/13/08, 2:30 a.m., 300 Royal St.
9/14/08, 2:50 a.m., Iberville St. & Dauphine St.
9/14/08, 6:30 p.m., Dauphine St. & Gov. Nicholls St.
9/15/08, 7:30 a.m., 500 St. Joseph St.
9/15/08, 1:30 a.m., Iberville St. & Exchange Alley
9/18/08, 11:30 a.m., Canal St.
9/19/08, 11:30 a.m., 600 Esplanade Ave.
9/20/08, 2:00 a.m., St. Joseph St. & Tchoupitoulas St.
9/20/08, 6:30 p.m., N. Peters St. & Conti St.
9/20/08, 11:30 p.m., 400 Canal St.
9/20/08, 9:45 p.m., 1200 N. Rampart St.
9/20/08, 11:30 p.m., 100 Burgundy St.
9/20/08, 8:30 a.m., 1000 St. Louis St.
9/21/08, 12:17 a.m., 200 Julia St.
9/23/08, 4:00 a.m., Bourbon St. & Bienville St.
9/24/08, 11:00 a.m., 800 Chartres St.
9/25/08, 11:15 a.m., 1300 Poydras St.
9/27/08, 9:45 p.m., 600 Esplanade Ave.
9/28/08, 1:00 a.m., Poydras St. & Tchoupitoulas St.
9/28/08, 3:30 a.m., 800 Magazine St.
9/28/08, 11:30 a.m., 900 Girod St.
9/28/08, 11:30 p.m., 800 Constance St.
9/28/08, 3:30 a.m., 800 Magazine St.
9/28/08, 3:30 a.m., 800 Magazine St.
9/29/08, 4:00 a.m., St. Joseph St. & Tchoupitoulas St.
9/29/08, 1:30 a.m., 1000 Gov. Nicholls St.
9/29/08, 5:55 p.m., 400 Natchez St.

Car break-in
9/07/08, 4:00 a.m., 1500 Cleveland Ave.
9/08/08, 10:54 a.m., 800 Tchoupitoulas St.
9/08/08, 1:00 a.m., 1100 Royal St.
9/09/08, 3:15 a.m., 300 Loyola Ave.
9/12/08, 12:35 p.m., 600 Gravier St.
9/14/08, 2:00 a.m., 1200 N. Rampart St.
9/18/08, 11:00 p.m., 700 Gov. Nicholls St.
9/20/08, 1:00 a.m., 200 S. Rampart St.
9/20/08, 8:50 a.m., 1300 Perdido St.
9/23/08, 1:00 p.m., Elysian Fields Ave. & Decatur St.
9/24/08, 2:15 a.m., 2100 Chartres St.
9/26/08, 5:15 p.m., 300 O'Keefe Ave.
9/29/08, 2:00 p.m., 400 Canal St.
9/29/08, 8:04 a.m., 500 Wilkinson St.

Wild, wild weekend

Black gangs get into it: The tranquility of a Sunday morning was broken when 2 groups of black guys got into an argument on Iberville Street near Burgundy Street shortly before 5 a.m. that turned into a gun battle.

One guy pulled a pistol and fired it 6 to 8 times, striking a 23-year-old man 3 times, twice in the torso and once in the left leg.

Employees of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at that location were among the first on the scene and reported the victim appeared to be in critical condition when he was taken away by ambulance. He underwent surgery at University Hospital and was last reported in stable condition.

Police are labeling it an attempted murder and are looking for a black male in his early 20's, 5'11" tall, weighing 145 pounds, with a slim build and brown complexion, wearing a black shirt, blue pants, and a black fitted hat (what the hell's that?)

One arrest too--with 16 charges: A white man standing in front of the Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel, 817 Common St. in the CBD, Sunday night (9.28.08) at 11 p.m. was accosted by 4 black thugs. He was struck by one of them and then was relieved of his money clip from his pants pocket. The robbers fled toward S. Rampart Street.

A short time later, police caught up with one of the thugs who was positively identified as the robber. It must have been some kind of apprehension: When it was all done, the NOPD had 16 charges against Joseph M. Lawrence, 21, 5'11" tall, weighing 210 pounds.

He was charged with simple robbery, possession with intent to distribute Ecstasy, possession of a firearm while in possession of controlled dangerous substances, flight from an officer and resisting arrest, plus a host of traffic violations too numerous for anyone but a police officer to tabulate. He's being held on $34,000 bond in OPP.

What's with the CBD?: Earlier that same day, just down the street in the 700 block of Common Street, an Asian man was walking about 5 a.m. when he was approached from behind by a nondescript male and felt something pushed into his back. The robber demanded money and the victim complied. The victim could give no description of the robber.

Then in the afternoon, at about 2:26 p.m., a white woman, who had just crossed the intersection of Girod and Magazine streets, had her purse snatched by a black man she described as 35 to 40 years old, 6' tall, weighing 320 pounds, wearing a black shirt and black running pants. He fled up Magazine toward Julia Street.

With friends like that..: A white woman walking on Dauphine Street about 5 a.m. on Saturday (9.27.08) was approached by a black dude she knew as "David" who offered to walk her over to Bourbon Street.

But after a walking for a few minutes, he punched her in the face and took 2 bracelets from her. She flagged down a passing motorist, who took her to the 8th District station at Royal and Conti streets.

She was unable to tell the officers the exact location where she'd been robbed, but described "David" as 25 to 30 years old, 5'10" tall, weighing 190 pounds, wearing a white tuxedo shirt and black pants.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler