Come on Cannizzaro

New DA needed NOW: Leon Cannizzaro's ready to take over as DA and starting kicking some butt just as soon as the election results are verified, probably the first part of next week. It can't be too soon. Consider the case of this scumbag:

Just a little over 2 weeks ago, the interim DA decided not to prosecute Melvin Bland, 38, for an armed robbery he allegedly committed this past summer. Then yesterday (11.6.08) he was arrested again, this time for simple robbery in the 800 block of St. Louis Street (between Bourbon and Dauphine streets).

A white guy walking along the street about 1:50 a.m. was allegedly grabbed by Bland who tried to get the contents of the victim's front pocket. But before he succeeded, plainsclothes police officers in the vicinity where on him like flies on you-know-what. Bland was charged with attempted simple robbery, resisting an officer, and battery of a police officer.

In the summer robbery, Bland allegedly came up to a woman at 1431 Royal St. (between Kerlerec Street and Esplanade Avenue) at about 2 a.m. 7.16.08 and asked for a cigarette. Then he allegedly pulled a pistol and demanded her money, which she surrendered.

Bland's bond is set at $26,000. Let's hope it keeps him in OPP until Cannizzaro sics his fangs into him at the "show cause" hearing on 1.7.09.

Why this guy was even on the street is a mystery. He's got nearly 2 dozen arrests and felony convictions going back 20 years for everything from prostitution to drug dealing. Why no DA has prosecuted him yet as a career criminal is amazing. Come on Cannizzaro--it's up to you to put this guy away for good.

Boxed in: What is it with boxcutters all of a sudden? In 2 attacks this week, that was the weapon of choice:

• Sunday (11.2.08), a black dude walking with his brothers (no, really, his brothers) at about 5:41 a.m. on Burgundy Street, near Iberville Street, was accosted by a Hispanic guy who came up and started shouting at him, then pulled out a boxcutter and cut him on the arm. The victim's brothers pushed the assailant to the ground and held him until police arrived.

Police arrested Armondo Juarez, 24, and charged him with aggravated battery. He's being held in OPP on $20,000 bond while authorities try to find him a translator. (Probably needs a green card too--and to learn you don't mess with a brother who's surrounded by his brothers, real or not.)

• Tuesday (11.4.08), 2 white men, who police said were "acquaintances," got into an argument at The Roundup Bar, 819 St. Louis St. One pulled a boxcutter and cut his "friend" on the arm.

The victim was taken to the hospital and 8th District detectives went to the home of Marcus Martinez, 33, and charged him with aggravated battery. He's being held on $5,000 bond.

What's the commotion?: Often the police response to a scene is so dramatic that citizens might think the sky is falling. For instance:

• One NOcrimeline reader wanted to know if there was some sort of criminal activity in the 600 and 700 blocks of Esplanade Avenue (between Chartres and Bourbon streets) just after midnight on 10.29.08 because there were many police cars on the scene.

Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, checked it out thoroughly by checking all his nightwatch officers' trip sheets and the Communications Division's logs, but found nothing listed. "In all likelihood," he concluded, "it was a traffic stop or pedestrian stop that may have been conducted by my taskforce or units from another division."

• Another NOcrimeline reader, coming out of work just after 5 p.m. on 10.30.08 was nearly hit as she started to cross the street at Camp and Natchez streets by an unmarked SUV speeding down Camp without lights or siren on. The officer jumped out of the SUV and pulled her gun on a man running across Poydras Street. Another unmarked SUV arrived on the scene in the same manner, swerved, and hit the guy, knocking him down. The reader said about 10 marked NOPD cars showed up and "at least 15 NOPD" officers "standing around staring at this guy in the street."

Maj. Hosli has been checking on this incident too, but is baffled, saying, "I have no major incidents around that area last week."

• If you noticed emergency vehicles converging on Burgundy Street at Kerlerec Street on Thursday (11.6.08) just after midnight, it was due to a suicide at 1719 Burgundy St. According to the police report, a 21-year-old girl, depressed over breaking up with her boyfriend, drank heavily and put a gun in her mouth and fired one shot. She died on the scene. A shame: a long-term solution for a short-term problem.

Don't let this dissuade you from contacting NOcrimeline whenever you see something suspicious or curious. Often it's a tip from a reader that leads to the most important stories. You have more eyes and ears out in the community than the police do, so speak up.

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

Thom Kahler

Stick'em up...lock'em down

Robberies followed by arrests: 8th District cops took 4 thugs off the streets of the French Quarter over the weekend following 3 armed robberies, or attempts there at.

The first, early Friday (10.31.08) morning at 1:30 a.m., occurred when an Asian male was walking in the 1000 block of Conti Street toward N. Rampart Street and was assailed by 2 black dudes. One pulled a gun and demanded the victim's valuables. The victim, not used to our customs, refused and a physical struggle ensued. The would-be robbers, realizing they had bungled their heist, fled the scene.

Apprehended a few hours later and positively identified by the victim were Russell Bernard, 18, and a 16-year-old punk, who's name won't be released, of course, unless his precious psyche be damaged. Bernard was charged with attempted armed robbery and is being held in OPP in lieu of $100,000 bond.

The next night, Saturday (11.1.08), a white man walking in the 100 block of Chartres Street (between Ursulines and St. Philip streets) at 11:23 p.m. was accosted by 2 black guys. One pulled a gun and demanded the victim's money, but another pedestrian happened upon the scene and the would-be crooks fled on foot.

The fearful twosome succeeded 8 minutes later at 11:31 p.m. when they came upon a white couple walking near the intersection of Ursulines and Burgundy streets. When one of the robbers pulled a gun and demanded the victims' money, the man and woman complied. The robbers fled up Ursulines and across N. Rampart Street.

A short while later, police apprehended Kentrell Finister, 17, and Daryl Galle, 20. Both were positively identified by the victims and booked on 2 counts each of armed robbery with a firearm. They are being held on $250,000 bond each in OPP.

Simple but terrifying: A black woman walking to her car in the 1000 block of Touro Street (between N. Rampart Street and St. Claude Avenue) in the middle of the afternoon on Friday (10.31.08) at 2:10 p.m. was knocked to the ground by a black guy who came up behind her. He reached into her right front pocket and took her cash before fleeing on foot.

The robber was described as 28 to 32 years old, 5'6" tall, weighing 150 pounds, with a light complexion and short haircut with thin sideburns, wearing a white T-shirt and light blue jeans.

Shootout update: Additional information received this morning from the 8th District allows us to clarify several issues in the alleged shootout Friday in the CDB between cops and a suspect.

The earlier report, from the "Superintendent's Major Offense Log", which gives a gist of each crime, indicated that 8th District officers had been fired upon. However, the 8th District's version does not report the suspect firing his gun at officers, but only brandishing it as he approached them.

Read the revised account in the earlier posting of 11.1.08 below: "Cops in shootout"

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

Thom Kahler

Violence rips the 8th

Cops in shootout: Officers Blake Terrell and Claude Daniel of the NOPD's 8th District came upon 2 men standing next to a van at 800 S. Peters St. (at Julia Street) around 3 a.m. yesterday morning (10.31.08) and arguing with the occupants. As they went to intervene, they heard a gunshot and saw a muzzle flash.

One of the men fled but the other began waving his gun around. The officers ordered him to drop the gun, but he refused. Instead, he approached the officers and pointed his gun at them. They fired, but missed the deranged man. Wisely, the miscreant dropped to the ground.

Police arrested Ryan Toombs, who just turned 18 on 10.2.08 and severely jeopardized his chances of turning 19.

Toombs was charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, and single counts of resisting an officer, illegal use of a firearm, and being a felon with a firearm. His bond was set at $60,000.

Girls gone wild--again: Seems the working girls of the French Quarter are getting into it an awfully lot lately. Maybe they're unionizing, or something.

Around 5:30 a.m. yesterday morning (10.31.08) at Bourbon and Conti streets, a 17-year-old black chick got into a fight with a group of several other black girls. One of them allegedly pulled a folding knife and cut the victim on the left side of her face above the eye. She was treated and released at the scene.

Officers Tyrone Mills and Adrian Chapital apprehended Savonna Stewart (left), 18, and charged her with aggravated battery. They also arrested her gal pal who was also allegedly involved in the fight, Keywanda Ashley (right), 20, and charged her with tampering with evidence.

2 for 2: 2 armed robberies within a half-hour of each other early Thursday morning (10.30.08) resulted in 2 arrests.

Out walking just after midnight, a black man was stopped by a grey Chevy Malibu that pulled along side of him at Common Street and O'Keefe Avenue in the CBD. The passenger hopped out of the car, brandishing 2 pistols and demanded the victim's money. The victim complied and fled on foot, flagging down a patrol car.

Then at 12:30 a.m., a 58-year-old black man was robbed in much the same manner at Tulane and Loyola avenues by a man in a grey Chevy Malibu.

Officers Terrance Wilson and Joseph Jefferson stopped a car fitting the description at Canal and Burgundy streets and determined the men inside where the perpetrators of both robberies.

Arrested were Manual McDonald (right), 20, 5'8" tall, weighing 160 pounds, and William Gates (left), 19, 5'8" tall, weighing 155 pounds. Both were charged with 2 counts of armed robbery. McDonald's bond was set at $200,000, but Gates' was set at only $50,000. Gates managed to bail out later in the evening to go trick-or-treating the next day.

Scumbag goes free: Police probably figured they finally had the goods on Kyle J. Anderson, 22, when the 8th District Task Force bagged him at Decatur and Frenchmen streets (just off Esplanade Avenue) in June.

Anderson--who had eluded murder charges against him a year ago--now had 12 charges lodged against him, ranging from a multitude of traffic offenses to drug and weapons charges as well as assault on officers.

But it was not to be. Anderson was set free a week or so ago (10.23.08) when the DA dropped all remaining charges against him. (The election Tuesday can't come soon enough to get a new DA in there who will, hopefully, crackdown on this crap!)

What is not known is whether the fact one of the officers who arrested Anderson last June but has since quit the NOPD while under investigation by the Public Integrity Bureau affected the ability to prosecute the case.

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

Thom Kahler

Crimes reported: October 2008

This is a list of the crimes reported during October, 2008 in the 8th District (French Quarter, Marigny Triangle, CBD) as listed on the NOPD's crime map, which gives the dates, locations, and the time the crimes occurred.

Armed robbery
10/08/08, 6:28 p.m., 1300 Royal St., attempted
10/10/08, 12:05 a.m., 1300 Royal St., gun
10/14/08, 2:14 a.m., S. Rampart St. & Canal St., carjacking
10/23/08, 11:10 p.m., 800 Magazine St., gun
10/30/08, 1:30 a.m., Tulane Ave. & Loyola Ave., gun
10/30/08, 12:15 a.m., 1000 Common St., gun
10/30/08, 1:30 a.m., Tulane Ave. & Loyola Ave., gun

Simple robbery
10/04/08, 4:40 a.m., Conti St. & Burgundy St., pursesnatching
10/05/08, 3:40 a.m., 500 Bourbon St., pursesnatching
10/07/08, 6:00 p.m., St. Philip St. & Burgundy St.
10/14/08, 2:25 a.m., 900 Bourbon St.
10/17/08, 12:00 p.m., Canal St. & Dauphine St., pursesnatching
10/19/08, 1:10 a.m., 300 Bourbon St., pickpocketing
10/19/08, 12:05 a.m., 200 O'Keefe Ave., pursesnatching
10/20/08, 9:45 p.m., St. Ann St. & Bourbon St., attempted pickpocketing
10/24/08, 12:40 a.m., 600 Bourbon St.
10/25/08, 5:28 a.m., 700 Iberville St.
10/26/08, 1:45 a.m., 500 Bourbon St., pickpocketing
10/28/08, 4:15 p.m., Bourbon St. & St. Peter St., pickpocketing

Assault & battery
10/03/08, 9:30 p.m., 1000 Loyola Ave., aggravated battery
10/04/08, 2:20 a.m., St. Louis St. & Bourbon St., aggravated assault
10/10/08, 9:29 p.m., 1100 Canal St., aggravated battery
10/10/08, 11:09 p.m., 200 Bourbon St., aggravated battery
10/18/08, 4:00 a.m., Iberville St. & Bourbon St., aggravated battery (cutting)
10/24/08, 12:10 a.m., 1200 Bourbon St., aggravated battery (cutting)
10/25/08, 3:37 a.m., Dauphine St. & St. Louis St., aggravated battery

Burglary
10/02/08, 1:30 p.m., 900 Esplanade Ave., residence
10/07/08, 9:30 p.m., 500 Madison St., business
10/08/08, 1:00 p.m., 1100 Burgundy St., residence
10/08/08, 4:00 p.m., 1100 Burgundy St., residence
10/12/08, 11:45 a.m., 700 Barracks St., residence
10/15/08, 4:00 p.m., 1100 Tulane Ave.
10/16/08, 6:00 a.m., 1000 Bienville St., business
10/20/08, 9:00 a.m., 800 Frenchmen St., business
10/20/08, 11:30 p.m., 500 Gov. Nicholls St., residence

Theft
10/01/08, 5:15 p.m., 600 Decatur St., shoplifting
10/03/08, 1:00 p.m., 800 Decatur St.
10/03/08, 2:40 p.m., 300 Canal St., shoplifting
10/03/08, 10:40 p.m., 100 Bourbon St., shoplifting
10/04/08, 8:00 a.m., 100 Carondelet St.
10/04/08, 12:00 p.m., 300 St. Charles St.
10/04/08, 4:45 p.m., 400 N. Peters St., bicycle
10/05/08, 3:00 p.m., 800 Chartres St., shoplifting
10/06/08, 1:20 a.m., 400 Bourbon St.
10/06/08, 2:45 p.m., 1500 Poydras St.
10/08/08, 1:44 a.m., Canal St. & Elk Pl.
10/08/08, 4:00 p.m., 600 Canal St., bicycle
10/09/08, 12:45 p.m., 600 Royal St., shoplifting
10/10/08, 1:39 p.m., 1000 St. Charles St., bicycle
10/11/08, 10:43 p.m., 1000 Conti St.
10/11/08, 10:45 p.m., 500 Tchoupitoulas St.
10/12/08, 11:15 a.m., 500 Canal St.
10/13/08, 3:51 a.m., 700 Bourbon St.
10/15/08, 8:22 a.m., 700 Canal St.
10/16/08, 2:00 a.m., Bourbon St. & Toulouse St.
10/16/08, 12:00 p.m., 500 Chartres St.
10/16/08, 5:30 a.m., 900 Esplanade Ave., bicycle
10/17/08, 12:45 a.m., 400 Bourbon St.
10/17/08, 1:30 a.m., 300 Bourbon St.
10/17/08, 12:01 a.m., Canal St.
10/17/08, 10:30 p.m., Bourbon St. & St. Louis St.
10/18/08, 8:28 p.m., Canal St.
10/19/08, 4:45 a.m., 900 Burgundy St.
10/19/08, 8:35 p.m., 800 Bourbon St.
10/19/08, 12:49 p.m., 1100 Decatur St., shoplifting
10/20/08, 10:00 a.m., 500 Madison St.
10/20/08, 4:00 p.m., 900 Common St.
10/22/08, 11:30 a.m., 900 Bourbon St., shoplifting
10/23/08, 4:00 p.m., 700 Conti St.
10/23/08, 11:15 a.m., 700 Loyola Ave., shoplifting
10/24/08, 1:00 p.m., 600 Chartres St.
10/24/08, 9:33 p.m., 400 St. Charles St.
10/24/08, 11:30 a.m., 700 Carondelet St.
10/26/08, 10:30 a.m., 700 Canal St.
10/26/08, 9:00 p.m., 100 Iberville St.
10/26/08, 1:45 p.m., 400 N. Peters St., shoplifting
10/26/08, 2:15 p.m., 600 Chartres St., shoplifting
10/27/08, 7:30 a.m., 700 Carondelet St.
10/27/08, 11:40 p.m., 200 Bourbon St.
10/28/08, 5:45 p.m., 1900 Burgundy St., bicycle
10/28/08, 2:00 p.m., 100 Royal St., shoplifting
10/28/08, 2:00 p.m., 100 Royal St., shoplifting
10/30/08, 11:25 p.m., 300 Canal St., shoplifting
10/30/08, 5:45 p.m., 700 Orleans Ave., shoplifting

Auto theft
10/01/08, 12:01 a.m., 500 Bienville St.
10/04/08, 2:40 p.m., Loyola Ave. & Poydras St.
10/05/08, 12:30 p.m., 700 Canal St.
10/06/08, 8:45 p.m., 800 St. Charles St.
10/09/08, 3:30 a.m., 900 St. Peter St.
10/11/08, 7:00 a.m., Chartres St. & Toulouse St.
10/11/08, 11:00 p.m., Burgundy St. & St. Philip St.
10/11/08, 4:30 a.m., 1000 Dumaine St.
10/12/08, 12:00 p.m., 300 Royal St.
10/12/08, 9:00 a.m., 300 Decatur St.
10/13/08, 8:20 a.m., 300 St. Joseph St.
10/13/08, 2:00 a.m., 300 Andrew Higgins St.
10/14/08, 1:00 a.m., Exchange Alley & Iberville St.
10/15/08, 11:02 a.m., 300 Dauphine St.
10/16/08, 3:00 a.m., 400 Girod St.
10/16/08, 5:15 a.m., 800 Poydras St.
10/17/08, 8:30 p.m., Decatur St. & Bienville St.
10/19/08, 2:30 a.m., Canal St.
10/22/08, 11:30 a.m., Loyola Ave. & Poydras St.
10/23/08, 6:30 p.m., 100 N. Peters St.
10/24/08, 7:30 p.m., 300 O'Keefe Ave.
10/24/08, 6:00 a.m., 600 Canal St.
10/25/08, 12:30 a.m., Frenchmen St. & Royal St.
10/25/08, 11:00 p.m., Orleans Ave. & Dauphine St.
10/26/08, 12:45 a.m., Bourbon St. & Esplanade Ave.
10/26/08, 2:00 a.m., Bienville St. & Royal St.
10/27/08, 3:45 p.m., 1100 Royal St.
10/29/08, 10:00 a.m., 800 Frenchmen St.
10/29/08, 1:00 a.m., Bourbon St. & St. Ann St.
10/30/08, 10:00 p.m., 200 Burgundy St.

Car break-in
10/01/08, 5:30 p.m., St. Philip St. & Bourbon St.
10/04/08, 3:45 p.m., O'Keefe Ave. & Union St.
10/05/08, 2:15 a.m., 300 Loyola Ave.
10/05/08, 3:00 a.m., 1200 N. Rampart St.
10/05/08, 8:00 p.m., 300 Burgundy St.
10/06/08, 11:23 p.m., Burgundy St. & Iberville St.
10/06/08, 11:30 p.m., 300 Chartres St.
10/06/08, 2:30 a.m., 1000 Chartres St.
10/07/08, 4:00 a.m., 300 Burgundy St.
10/07/08, 7:50 p.m., 900 Gravier St.
10/07/08, 8:00 a.m., 300 Burgundy St.
10/07/08, 11:30 p.m., 300 Burgundy St.
10/07/08, 11:59 p.m., Burgundy St. & Iberville St.
10/08/08, 12:05 a.m., 700 Frenchmen St.
10/08/08, 7:30 p.m., Dumaine St. & Burgundy St.
10/09/08, 6:07 a.m., 1800 Burgundy St.
10/09/08, 2:00 a.m., 500 Baronne St.
10/09/08, 9:35 a.m., 1000 Gov. Nicholls St.
10/09/08, 1:10 p.m., 1000 Conti St.
10/09/08, 1:10 p.m., 1000 Conti St.
10/09/08, 11:00 p.m., 800 N. Rampart St.
10/10/08, 2:00 a.m., 400 Magazine St.
10/11/08, 3:20 a.m., Magazine St. & Poydras St.
10/11/08, 4:00 a.m., Magazine St. & Poydras St.
10/11/08, 1:00 a.m., Magazine St. & Poydras St.
10/11/08, 2:15 a.m., Poydras St. & Magazine St.
10/11/08, 9:00 a.m., 900 Gravier St.
10/11/08, 7:45 a.m., Magazine St. & Poydras St.
10/11/08, 3:00 a.m., Perdido St. & Baronne St.
10/11/08, 3:00 a.m., Magazine St. & Poydras St.
10/11/08, 7:45 a.m., 500 Natchez St.
10/11/08, 2:30 p.m., 400 Magazine St.
10/12/08, 2:00 a.m., 1600 Canal St.
10/12/08, 2:30 a.m., 300 Carondelet St.
10/12/08, 9:20 a.m., 1600 Canal St.
10/14/08, 1:00 a.m., 800 Constance St.
10/14/08, 2:00 a.m., 800 Constance St.
10/16/08, 10:05 p.m., 1000 Touro St.
10/16/08, 10:00 p.m., 1600 Canal St.
10/17/08, 3:30 a.m., 1300 Canal St.
10/17/08, 4:00 a.m., 300 Carondelet St.
10/18/08, 12:30 a.m., 1600 Canal St.
10/18/08, 11:15 p.m., 2100 Chartres St.
10/18/08, 9:00 p.m., 1500 Girod St.
10/19/08, 1:05 a.m., S. Rampart St. & Canal St.
10/19/08, 3:45 a.m., 700 Bienville St.
10/19/08, 1:30 p.m., Poydras St. & Magazine St.
10/20/08, 2:30 a.m., 400 Magazine St.
10/21/08, 12:30 a.m., Magazine St. & Poydras St.
10/22/08, 11:30 p.m., 1000 Bienville St.
10/22/08, 1:30 a.m., 400 Magazine St.
10/22/08, 1:00 a.m., 400 Magazine St.
10/22/08, 2:30 a.m., 400 Magazine St.
10/22/08, 11:30 p.m., 1000 Bienville St.
10/24/08, 7:45 p.m., 900 Union St.
10/25/08, 10:20 p.m., 100 S. Rampart St.
10/25/08, 10:20 p.m., 100 S. Rampart St.
10/26/08, 4:30 a.m., 500 Tchoupitoulas St.
10/26/08, 5:00 a.m., 300 Burgundy St.
10/27/08, 12:01 a.m., 200 Dauphine St.
10/27/08, 2:00 a.m., Gravier St. & O'Keefe Ave.
10/27/08, 2:10 a.m., Dauphine St. & Canal St.
10/28/08, 11:30 p.m., 400 Magazine St.
10/28/08, 1:00 a.m., 400 Magazine St.
10/29/08, 5:50 p.m., Maestri Pl. & Camp St.

The NOPD has revised the crime figures for September, 2008 upward. They are available at September 2008 Crimes

Police reports, good and bad

A world of difference: Since there's no centralized reporting to citizens on crime in the community, it's pretty much left up to each NOPD police district to tell residents in its jurisdiction what's going on. In some districts, the effort is virtually non-existent. In others, it's horribly anemic. In one--not the 8th--it's nearly a model of how police should communicate with the citizens they serve.

The 8th District practically pioneered the effort when Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the district that encompasses the French Quarter, agreed in March, 2007 to give all the district's crime reports to NOcrimeline to publish by email and eventually online. When Big Chief Warren Riley went on the warpath this past spring about commentary by NOcrimeline in its reporting, he ordered the 8th District to stifle what had been splendid cooperation with NOcrimeline.

Maj. Hosli, to his credit, said he would establish his own email list and send out reports of crimes in the 8th District directly to the citizenry. Initially, the flow of information was steady and thorough. Now his "8th District Updates" have dwindled to a trickle, often only including what happened over the weekends, and with scant detail.

At about the same time NOcrimeline was gearing up, then-Capt. Kirk Bouleyas, Hosli's successor as commander of the 2nd District, launched his own email blast to alert citizens Uptown about crime there.

Bouleyas moved on to become Chief of Operations, and now Maj. Bruce Little--once the sparkplug of the 8th District's taskforce when he was a sergeant--has taken his district's email blast to a higher level. He actually talks to his constituents and tells them in detail, without jargon, what's going on.

In the NOPD district neighboring the 8th on the east--the 5th--we reported the commander there--Maj. Bernedine Kelly, a veteran of the 8th District--didn't publish police reports. But we learned belatedly that the 5th District does publish a "Community Bulletin" on Wednesdays listing the crimes in the past week.

The reports are stripped of much vital information, such as the ages of the victims, the time the crime happened, and the names of perpetrators arrested. Not much for the the citizens of Faubourg Mariny and Bywater to go on.

Why the fuss? The thinking, at least among the citizenry, is that if you know what crime is happening, where and when, you can take precautions against becoming a victim.

Unfortunately, this is not a view shared by the top echelon of the NOPD. Often the top brass views the reporting of the crime as an admission to its inadequacy in controlling it. The thinking at HQ seems to be: If we can't control crime, at least we can control the reporting of it, to make it seem like there's a lot less than there actually is.

It would be more valuable to citizens if Chief Riley was more concerned about preventing crime than making excuses for it.

Now, for the reports--more or less: 3 white women, ages 23, 24, and 25, were walking to their car when they were confronted by an armed black man in the 800 block of Magazine Street shortly after 11 p.m. last Thursday (10.23.08). He ordered them to pull all their belongings on the ground; he picked and chose what he wanted before fleeing on foot toward Julia Street.

The women flagged down a passing patrol car and gave police this description of the robber: 5'9" tall, weighing 150 pounds, wearing a white pull-over jacket and blue jeans.

Robbery so simple a caveman could do it: As a white woman was handing over her money last Friday (10.24.08) at about 12:40 a.m. to a clerk at the Gateway Mardi Gras Daiquiri shop, 619 Bourbon St., a black dude came up and snatched the cash and fled on foot up Bourbon Street.

8th District detectives determined it was the work of Jefferson Kontur, 34, 5'9" tall, weighing 170 pounds, wearing a gray T-shirt and blue jeans, and issued an arrest warrant for simple robbery.

In another case, on Saturday morning (10.25.08) at about 5:30 a.m., a Hispanic man and several of his buddies were walking in the 700 block of Iberville Street (between Bourbon and Royal streets) when a black guy ran up and snatched his wallet from his right rear pants pocket.

But the robber, apparently not appreciating the overwhelming power of the victim and his posse, was grabbed and held for police. Arrested was Joseph Blouin, 20, 6'8", 186 pounds, and charged with simple robbery.

Too much skin: Early Saturday morning (10.25.08) around 3:30 a.m., a white guy who must not have been from around here, got into an argument with a transvestite at Dauphine and St. Louis streets. One thing led to another and, according to the police, the she/man removed one of the high-heel boots he was wearing and struck the victim in the face.

Police arrived on the scene and charged Walter Black, 39, with aggravated battery, as well as obscenity under a state statute that covers such things as "flashing". Maybe a little too much flesh shown while wresting that unwieldy boot from his foot?

Now you see him: You might recall that we complained last week about the NOPD not releasing mugshots of suspects they're supposed to be hunting. To the rescue came Eleanor Lahey, who showed me how to extract older mugshots from the sheriff's files.

(Never underestimate the journalistic chops of someone who's worked under the influence of Larry Flynt. Eleanor's the manager of Hustler Hollywood on Bourbon Street. You might remember the piece she wrote for NOcrimeline in early August about crime on her end of the Quarter.)

Thanks to Eleanor, we now have a mugshot of Mark Melerine for whom the 8th District has 2 outstanding arrest warrants charging him with 2 pursesnatchings back in April.

The first occurred in the 100 block of N. Peters Street and the second in the 1300 block of Bourbon Street. Melerine is described as a white male, 34 years old, 5'11" tall, weighing 180 pounds.

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

Thom Kahler

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

Thom Kahler