Crimes reported: December 2008

This is a list of the crimes reported during December, 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.

Murder
12.15.08, 2:21 a.m., 300 Decatur St., shooting

Armed robbery
12.07.08, 7:40 p.m., 1000 St. Louis St., knife
12.14.08, 1:30 a.m., Bourbon St. & Dumaine St., gun
12.16.08, 10:10 p.m., 600 Ursulines Ave., attempted, gun
12.17.08, 2:27 a.m., 800 Royal St., gun
12.18.08, 3:40 a.m., 1200 Burgundy St., gun
12.21.08, 6:20 a.m., St. Louis St. & Bourbon St., carjacking
12.21.08, 7:22 p.m., Canal St. & Elk Pl., gun
12.22.08, 10:04 p.m., Barracks St. & Dauphine St., gun
12.23.08, 2:19 p.m., 1800 Burgundy St., carjacking
12.23.08, 8:20 p.m., 900 Burgundy St., gun

Simple robbery
12.07.08, 6:29 p.m., 500 Burgundy St.
12.13.08, 9:30 p.m., St. Louis St. & Dauphine St., pursesnatching
12.19.08, 10:45 a.m., St. Philip St. & Dauphine St., pursesnatching
12.19.08, 12:00 p.m., 1000 St. Louis St.
12.25.08, 2:15 a.m., 300 Gravier St.
12.26.08, 2:40 a.m., St. Ann St. & Dauphine St., pursesnatching
12.26.08, 4:26 a.m., 800 Conti St., pursesnatching
12.26.08, 8:27 p.m., Bourbon St. & St. Louis St.
12.27.08, 11:50 p.m., 1100 Dauphine St., pursesnatching
12.28.08, 4:30 a.m., 500 Iberville St.

Assault & battery
12.09.08, 8:59 a.m., Loyola Ave. & Tulane Ave., aggravated
12.13.08, 6:30 a.m., 700 Royal St., aggravated battery
12.21.08, 1:13 a.m., Conti St. & Burgundy St., aggravated

Burglary
12.03.08, 1:51 a.m., 800 St. Ann St., aggravated
12.06.08, 12:45 p.m., 1300 Burgundy St.
12.06.08, 5:45 a.m., 500 Tchoupitoulas St., business
12.11.08, 3:40 a.m., 200 Magazine St., business
12.14.08, 1:00 a.m., 2000 Royal St., residence
12.16.08, 2:58 a.m., 100 Royal St., business
12.20.08, 4:30 a.m., 1100 N. Rampart St., business
12.23.08, 3:26 a.m., 100 Royal St., attempted, business
12.25.08, 8:22 a.m., 800 Union St., business
12.25.08, 8:22 a.m., 800 Union St., business

Theft
12.01.08, 5:30 p.m., 1100 S. Peters St., bicycle
12.02.08, 3:00 p.m., 100 Chartres St.
12.02.08, 3:56 p.m., 600 Decatur St., shoplifting
12.03.08, 10:30 p.m., 400 Bourbon St., pickpocketing
12.03.08, 1:00 p.m., 200 Decatur St., shoplifting
12.03.08, 1:10 p.m., 100 Royal St., shoplifting
12.03.08, 3:25 p.m., 600 Bourbon St.
12.03.08, 9:45 p.m., 600 Bourbon St.
12.04.08, 12:01 a.m., 1000 Chartres St.
12.05.08, 12:30 p.m., 1000 Bourbon St., bicycle
12.05.08, 9:00 a.m., 600 Chartres St.
12.05.08, 9:45 p.m., Bourbon St. & Bienville St.
12.06.08, 11:45 p.m., 300 Bourbon St.
12.06.08, 1:10 a.m., 600 Bourbon St.
12.06.08, 5:57 p.m., Poydras St.
12.07.08, 12:45 p.m., 400 Bourbon St.
12.07.08, 1:00 a.m., 700 Burgundy St., pickpocketing
12.07.08, 6:00 a.m., 600 Iberville St.
12.07.08, 6:30 p.m., 200 N. Peters St., shoplifting
12.07.08, 8:00 p.m., Decatur St. & Iberville St., bicycle
12.09.08, 12:30 p.m., Esplanade Ave. & Decatur St.
12.09.08, 8:40 a.m., 100 Royal St., shoplifting
12.11.08, 10:00 p.m., 400 Bourbon St.
12.11.08, 6:00 p.m., 300 Canal St., shoplifting
12.11.08, 6:13 p.m., 600 Canal St.
12.13.08, 2:30 p.m., 1000 Royal St.
12.13.08, 6:20 p.m., 400 Bourbon St.
12.13.08, 6:55 p.m., 700 Royal St., shoplifting
12.13.08, 8:00 p.m., Orleans Ave. & Royal St., bicycle
12.14.08, 12:15 a.m., 500 Bourbon St., pickpocketing
12.14.08, 4:24 p.m., 500 St. Peter St.
12.14.08, 4:45 a.m., 500 Bourbon St.
12.14.08, 6:20 p.m., 600 Bourbon St.
12.15.08, 6:30 p.m., 700 Canal St., shoplifting
12.15.08, 9:00 a.m., 600 Decatur St.
12.17.08, 11:20 p.m., 1500 Girod St., pickpocketing
12.17.08, 1:38 p.m., 300 Royal St., shoplifting
12.17.08, 2:35 p.m., 700 Carondelet St.
12.17.08, 4:00 p.m., Constance St. & Andrew Higgins St.
12.17.08, 5:27 p.m., 300 Royal St., shoplifting
12.17.08, 7:10 a.m., 700 Royal St., shoplifting
12.18.08, 10:40 p.m., 600 Poydras St.
12.18.08, 1:00 p.m., 1500 Poydras St., bicycle
12.18.08, 9:45 a.m., 800 Royal St., shoplifting
12.19.08, 11:00 a.m., 300 Royal St.
12.20.08, 2:30 p.m., 600 Gravier St.
12.20.08, 4:15 a.m., 300 Canal St.
12.21.08, 3:27 a.m., 800 Iberville St.
12.22.08, 8:30 a.m., 200 St. Charles Ave.
12.24.08, 5:00 p.m., 600 St. Louis St.
12.25.08, 1:04 p.m., 200 Magazine St.
12.26.08, 9:00 a.m., 600 Gravier St.
12.27.08, 12:00 p.m., Poydras St.
12.28.08, 4:49 p.m., 300 Loyola Ave.
12.28.08, 5:00 a.m., Canal St.
12.30.08, 5:02 p.m., 900 Canal St., shoplifting

Auto theft
12.01.08, 3:00 a.m., Gravier St. & Baronne St.
12.01.08, 7:50 a.m., Gravier St. & Baronne St.
12.04.08, 11:15 p.m., 600 Dauphine St.
12.04.08, 2:00 a.m., Bourbon St. & Toulouse St.
12.04.08, 8:00 p.m., Bienville St. & N. Peters St.
12.05.08, 12:00 a.m., 800 S. Peters St.
12.06.08, 6:30 a.m., N. Peters St. & Bienville St.
12.08.08, 12:30 a.m., 800 Dumaine St.
12.08.08, 8:00 p.m., Burgundy St. & Iberville St.
12.09.08, 8:45 a.m., 900 Poydras St.
12.12.08, 3:30 p.m., 1400 Cleveland Ave.
12.12.08, 5:15 p.m., 700 Loyola Ave.
12.13.08, 2:30 a.m., 1000 Iberville St.
12.13.08, 4:00 a.m., Burgundy St. & Canal St.
12.16.08, 8:00 p.m., 200 Chartres St.
12.21.08, 4:30 a.m., Frenchmen St. & Chartres St.
12.22.08, 1:13 p.m., 700 Touro St.
12.23.08, 4:00 p.m., 800 Dauphine St.
12.26.08, 12:00 a.m., 300 S. Diamond St.
12.27.08, 12:01 a.m., 1000 Conti St.
12.27.08, 2:00 a.m., Dauphine St. & St. Louis St.
12.27.08, 9:00 a.m., Decatur St. & Elysian Fields Ave.

Car break-in
12.01.08, 11:00 p.m., 2000 Burgundy St.
12.01.08, 11:30 p.m., Dauphine St. & Ursulines Ave.
12.01.08, 12:55 p.m., 800 Iberville St.
12.01.08, 2:30 a.m., 300 Camp St.
12.01.08, 4:00 a.m., 900 St. Peter St.
12.02.08, 4:00 a.m., Kerlerec St. & Pauger St.
12.02.08, 6:04 p.m., 700 Touro St., attempted
12.02.08, 8:15 p.m., 100 N. Rampart St.
12.04.08, 2:30 a.m., 400 Canal St.
12.05.08, 6:00 p.m., 300 Canal St.
12.06.08, 10:30 p.m., Poydras St. & Carondelet St.
12.06.08, 2:00 a.m., 100 Decatur St.
12.06.08, 3:30 a.m., 700 St. Peter St.
12.08.08, 10:30 p.m., 1700 Pauger St.
12.10.08, 12:40 p.m., LaSalle St. & Perdido St.
12.10.08, 1:30 a.m., 700 Union St.
12.10.08, 3:30 a.m., 300 Julia St.
12.13.08, 8:03 p.m., 500 Decatur St.
12.14.08, 10:00 a.m., 500 Dumaine St.
12.14.08, 11:00 p.m., 700 Canal St.
12.14.08, 1:30 p.m., 1000 Kerlerec St.
12.15.08, 12:00 p.m., Loyola Ave. & Howard Ave.
12.15.08, 1:25 a.m., 700 Carondelet St.
12.16.08, 5:30 p.m., 1200 Burgundy St.
12.17.08, 2:00 a.m., 700 Poydras St.
12.18.08, 1:15 a.m., 1000 Kerlerec St.
12.18.08, 9:00 a.m., 800 Dumaine St.
12.19.08, 8:15 p.m., 1000 Conti St.
12.19.08, 8:45 p.m., 500 Decatur St.
12.21.08, 1:45 p.m., 1000 St. Charles Ave.
12.22.08, 1:30 p.m., 500 Poydras St.
12.22.08, 6:20 p.m., Carondelet St. & Poydras St.
12.24.08, 1:24 p.m., 900 Bourbon St.
12.25.08, 12:01 a.m., N. Peters St. & Decatur St.
12.25.08, 6:40 p.m., 800 St. Louis St.
12.26.08, 12:39 p.m., S. Rampart St. & Girod St.
12.26.08, 12:39 p.m., O'Keefe Ave. & Perdido St.
12.26.08, 12:39 p.m., S. Rampart St. & Lafayette St.
12.26.08, 1:00 a.m., Decatur St. & Toulouse St.
12.26.08, 1:00 p.m., 1000 Conti St.
12.26.08, 2:50 a.m., Decatur St. & Toulouse St., attempted
12.28.08, 9:00 p.m., 1100 S. Peters St.
12.28.08, 9:45 a.m., 600 N. Rampart St.
12.30.08, 12:30 a.m., 500 Canal St.
12.30.08, 4:30 a.m., Burgundy St. & St. Louis St.
12.30.08, 9:35 p.m., 800 Julia St.
12.30.08, 9:35 p.m., 800 Julia St.

"Theft" of choice

Hold on to the wheel: With 3 carjackings on 3 consecutive days this week, it would pay to be vigilant when you're going to your car.

• The most recent incident was Tuesday (12.23.08) when a Hispanic man was parking his car in the 1700 block of Burgundy Street (between Kerlerec and St. Anthony streets) in the Marigny Triangle at 2:20 p.m. when 2 black dudes accosted him, pulling a pistol and demanding his money and car keys. The victim got out of his car and the robbers fled up Burgundy to Esplanade Avenue, then toward the river.

The car was a white 1995 Ford Contour with Louisiana license SPJ 298. The thieves were described as 18 to 21 years old, 6' tall, with short haircuts and dark complexions, wearing all black clothing.

• The day before, Monday (12.22.08), and also in the Marigny Triangle, a 36-year-old white man was approached at almost the same time, 2:05 p.m., by a black man in front of 723 Touro St. (between Dauphine and Royal streets) as he was unlocking his car. The robber pulled a pistol and demanded the victim's wallet and car keys. The thief fled in the car up Touro to Royal, then toward Esplanade.

The car is a black 2000 Mercury Cougar with Louisiana license MHU 816. The robber was described as 18 to 19 years old, 5'4" tall, with a small frame and medium complexion, wearing a gray hoodie under a black jacket and baggy blue jeans and tennis shoes.

• On Sunday (12.21.08), a Hispanic man sitting in his vehicle on St. Louis Street near Bourbon Street in the French Quarter at 6:20 a.m. was robbed of his car by a black dude who pulled a pistol and demanded his keys.

No description was given of the stolen vehicle, but the thief was described as 18 to 19 years old, 5'6" tall, weighing 180 pounds, with a short haircut and dark complexion, wearing a white jacket with multi-colored stripes, a white T-shirt and dark pants.

Thefts on the court: Chris Paul is not the only one making thefts on the basketball court. 3 black thugs held up an Asian couple (he 19 years old, she 15) who were shooting hoops at Cabrini Park (Dauphine and Barracks streets) on Monday at 10 p.m.

One of the hoodlums pulled a gun and shouted "Give me what you got!" The thieves fled with a cell phone and cash, hopping into a parked car in the 900 block of Barracks, which raced off toward N. Rampart Street and turned right.

Two of the robbers were both described as 19 to 23 years old, one 6'5" tall, weighing 170 pounds, wearing a gray jacket, gray pants and a gray beanie-style hat; the other was said to be 5"11" tall, wearing a black and red jacket and dark pants; the other suspect was not described.

Hotel robbed: A lone black gunman held up the white desk clerk at the Hotel St. Pierre, 911 Burgundy St., on Tuesday (12.23.08) at 8:20 p.m. The clerk turned over an unknown amount of money and the robber fled on foot down Burgundy toward Esplanade Avenue.

The thief was described as 18 to 23, 5'6" tall, weighing 140 to 150 pounds, wearing a black T-shirt, black pants and black tennis shoes.

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

Thom Kahler

'Tis the season to be robbing

Cosimo's robbed again: If 8th District Detective Jason Giroir is having deja vu all over again, it's no wonder. Last year he investigated the robbery of Cosimo's Bar, 1201 Burgundy St., on 12.23.07. This year, the annual episode came a few days earlier: this past Thursday (12.18.08).

According to the police report, 2 white guys in their 30s drinking at the bar at 3:40 a.m. were robbed at gunpoint by a black dude who pulled a pistol and demanded their money. They complied and the thief took off on foot toward Esplanade Avenue.

The robber was described as 5'9" to 5'10" tall, wearing a dark bandanna over his face, and a dark shirt.

Last year, Det. Giroir nabbed a suspect within a couple of days after scrutinizing the bar's video surveillance tape.

Quiet, and then: No crimes reported by the 8th District for Friday or Saturday (would that I could believe the French Quarter was actually so safe), but then Sunday (12.21.08) it's like all hell breaks loose:

• 1:13 a.m.: A Hispanic guy, with some apparent beef against the victim, a white man, got out of his car at Burgundy and Conti streets, allegedly took a pistol out of the car's trunk and pointed it at the victim. Then he calmly put the pistol back in the trunk and tried to leave the scene.

But 8th District officers got there first and apprehended James J. Hernandez III, 33, and charged him with aggravated assault. He made the $20,000 bond on the assault charge, but is still being held in OPP on a $100,000 bond for the violation of a protective order.

• 6:20 a.m.: A Hispanic man sitting in his vehicle on St. Louis Street near Bourbon Street was relieved of his ride by a black dude who came up on the driver's side and used a pistol to convince the driver to turn over the keys. The thug took the vehicle, headed down Bourbon and rounded onto Toulouse Street toward the river.

The car thief was described as 18 to 19, 5'6" tall, weighing 180 pounds, with a dark complexion and short haircut, wearing a white jacket with multi-colored stripes, a white T-shirt and dark pants. No description was given whatsoever of the vehicle, nor a license plate number, that might have aided the populace in helping find this stolen car (or truck, or van, or whatever).

• 6:20 a.m.: At the exact same time as the previous incident, a white man walking the Moon Walk near St. Louis Street was accosted by 2 black hoodlums who struck him and took his wallet.

One of the robbers was described as 20 to 25 years old, 5'7" to 5'8" tall, with a short haircut, wearing a checkered shirt and dark pants. He couldn't describe the other perp.

• 7:22 p.m.: Two black fellas found out the hard way that you can't get a gal with a gun. Five black girls were walking near the intersection of Canal Street and Elk Place when the 2 guys began flirting with them. When the girls ignored their advances, one of the guys pulled out a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded their money. The victims fled toward Tulane Avenue and flagged down a police car, pointing out the 2 guys who were trying to flee the scene on a RTA bus.

Police arrested Vontraz T. Pollard (left), 20, and his brother, Tony B. Pollard (right), 17. Each was charged with 5 counts of attempted armed robbery and are sitting in OPP in lieu of $375,00 bond each.

Rape was bogus: After all the stir a report of a rape on Decatur Street caused last week, it turns out the accusation was bogus after all.

The proprietor of the Havana Dreams cigar shop at 1101 Decatur St. is adamant that the rape the police reported happening upstairs at that address on 12.14.08 did not happen at that location.

He said they have video surveillance cameras all other the place and if something had happened there they would have seen it on tape. He's asked the police to clarify the address of the crime for him, but so far has heard nothing from the detective on the case.

NOcrimeline managed to get clarification from Assistant Superintendent Marlon Defillo who said the allegation of rape turned out to be false, and the accused suspect released after questioning. The confusion over the address was that the incident was called in from 1101 Decatur St., but the alleged crime actually occurred at 1119 Decatur St.

After all that, he's free: It took the NOPD 6 months to apprehend a suspect in June for a robbery that took place in January, then the case dragged through the court until the DA decided not to prosecute Shaffee Dawson after all last Friday (12.19.08).

Dawson, 26, was charged for the armed robbery on 1.16.08 of a white man was walking up the steps at 2020 N. Rampart St. The DA gave no reason for dropping the charges.

Pistol-packing mama freed: A woman 8th District cops arrested last May for allegedly pulling a pistol and pointing it at a couple of guys during a wee-hours argument in the 100 block of Bourbon Street is free of all charges.

Initially charged with aggravated assault and illegally carrying a weapon, the charges against Lyndi B. Gajan, 26, were reduced to carrying a concealed weapon. The DA decided last Wednesday (12.17.08) not to prosecute her. She had been free on her own recognizance, thanks to Criminal District Court Judge Frank Marullo Jr.

Don't be fooled: After Big Chief Riley spent last Friday begging the state to keep National Guardsmen in New Orleans, the Times-Picayune crunched the NOPD's manpower figures to show that Riley will soon have TWICE the national per capita number of officers that other cities have.

Riley told the state New Orleans expects to have 1,508 officers by the first of the year and 1,700 by the end of the year. The T-P concluded:

"Assuming a New Orleans population of 300,000--a number higher than the latest U.S. Census Bureau count but lower than the highest estimates by local demographers--hitting the target would give the city 5.6 sworn officers per 1,000 residents.

"An FBI study using statistics from 2004 found an average of 2.8 officers per 1,000 residents in American cities with at least 250,000 people.

"Before Katrina, the department's numbers peaked at 1,668, which with a population of 455,000 yielded an officer-per-1,000-resident ratio of 3.6."

We have pointed out before that the NOPD has long had more officers per capita than New York City, but is far more crime ridden. So what is the problem?

Management. Simply management. It's not so much how many men you have, it's what you do with them. Having so many of them sitting on their fannies, shuffling papers is doing nothing for crime prevention.

Bill Walsh, a well-respected local attorney and NOcrimeline subscriber, recently emailed Riley and asked him, in essence, "Where have all the officers gone?"

Walsh, in his email told Riley:

"Cursory review of NOPD's compliment of officers makes me think there appears to be a very big discrepancy regarding police officers actually on street fighting crime.

--If there are 8 police districts and approximately 116-120 officers assigned to each district, for a total of approximately 960 officers;

--Each district shift has 12-16 patrol officers assigned, which totals 128 officers per shift for all districts;

--Four 40-hour shifts per week would require a minimum of 128 x 4, or 512 officers per week.

"If I conservatively manpower load the existing police compliment of 1,400 officers at 50% to account for sick or vacation time, this would provide you with 700 officers available.

"My point here is, what are the other police officers doing?"

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

Thom Kahler

Dream on

Hush now: Change the name all you want, but 309 Decatur St. has turned the corner near Bienville Street into a dangerous place to be.

After 3 serious melees in that vicinity since the first of the year, a man finally met his death there Monday (12.15.08) after being gunned down in the early morning hours.

This time the club was named Club Hush and was hosting nearly 600 people for a release party for a new single by local hip-hop group Partners N Crime when gunfire rang out at 2:20 a.m.

Dead was Herbert Broussard, 27. A 18-year-old girl, believed to be a bystander, was shot in the stomach and rushed to the hospital.

A club security guard reportedly saw the shooter tuck a gun under his arm while trying to leave the club and tackled the perpetrator. Police confirmed the weapon believed used in the shooting was on the perpetrator when they took him into custody.

Charged with 1st-degree murder and attempted 1st-degree murder was Narkee Hunter of Gretna, who turned 20 just 10 days earlier. He is being held in OPP without bond.

When the nightclub was known as Club Dream early this year, it was a nightmare for police:

• Shortly after the NBA All-Star game concluded in February there was a shooting just before 1 a.m. in which at least 3 patrons of the club were wounded.

The NOPD was exceptionally tight-lipped about the incident, apparently not wanting to "further the city's brand" after Mayor Nagin promised those attending the dribble derby that the city was safe.

The victims were believed to be 2 women, both 24, one from New Orleans, who was struck in both legs, and one from Galveston, who was struck in one leg, and a 18-year-old man from Florida who was struck in "one or both" calves, according to the NOPD's "detailed" report.

The shooter or shooters were never caught.

• Back in January, a beer bottle fight in the club sent an early-morning patron there to the hospital.

According to the police report, the victim was a black man who was trying to break up a fight between a friend and a stranger who tried to hit his friend with a beer bottle, but hit the victim instead.

The attacker, described as a black male, 20 to 25 years of age, 6'04", weighing approximately 200 pounds, was never caught.

• Near the club in August, on the corner of Decatur and Bienville streets, neighbors watched in horror as a gunman pumped 7 or 8 shots into someone he had a beef with around 3:30 a.m.

The neighborhood really went ballistic when the NOPD initially said it was going to charge the alleged shooter with aggravated battery rather than attempted murder. Police arrested Nathaniel Payton, 26, who has a string of drug arrests going back to the turn of the century.

They did eventually charge him with attempted 2nd-degree murder, but he's been running the streets on a mere $75,000 bond which he easily posted a day after being arrested.

Be careful out there: According to police, a 19-year-old white woman was brutally raped Sunday(12.14.08) morning just before 5 a.m. when a strange white man forced her upstairs at 1101 Decatur St. (The police later said the rape report turned out to be bogus and had actually been reported as happening further down the 1100 block on Decatur.)

According to the police report, the rapist forced her to perform oral sex on him, then raped her vaginally.

No description was given of the rapist, so he's still running around in the wee morning hours.

Bringing up the rear: In a number of robberies in the last few days, it seems like all of the victims were approached from behind by black dudes moonlighting as robbers:

• Saturday (12.13.08), 9:30 p.m.: A white woman walking near the intersection of St. Louis and Dauphine streets was approached from the rear by a robber who grabbed her purse from her left hand and wrested it from her grasp. He fled on foot on Dauphine to Conti Street where he turned toward N. Rampart Street.

He was described at 5'8" tall, weighing 130 pounds, dark complexion, wearing a black hoodie.

• Sunday (12.14.08), 1:30 a.m.: A 46-year-old black man walking near the intersection of Bourbon and Dumaine streets was approached from the rear by a gun-toting robber who demanded his money. He turned over his wallet and cellphone and the robber fled.

The perp is described as 35 to 40, 5'10" tall, weighing 230 pounds, and wearing all black clothing.

• Tuesday (12.16.08), 10:55 p.m.: A white couple, walking in the 600 block of Ursulines St. (between Royal and Chartres streets) avoided being robbed by an armed would-be robber when they took off running toward Decatur Street.

Their assailant was described at 5'10" tall, weighing 160 pounds, wearing a dark jacket and blue jeans.

• Wednesday (12.17.08), 2:27 a.m.: A 36-year-old white man walking in the 800 block of Royal Street (between Dumaine and St. Ann streets) was approached from the rear by a robber who pulled a gun and demanded his money and cellphone. The victim surrender his goods and the thief fled up Royal toward Dumaine.

The robber is described as 6' tall, weighing 180 pounds, wearing a dark-colored jacket, blue jeans, and a dark bandanna.

'Teflon Teen' slips away again: Marshan Bowden, 18, continues to elude justice, slipping away this time when the DA refused to prosecute him for robbery.

The NOPD arrested Bowden, then 17, on 7.15.08 as one of the alleged gangsters wanted in a series of robberies by a gang of young black boys in the French Quarter.

He was due to appear Monday (12.15.08) before a magistrate in Criminal District Court for a "show cause" hearing. But the "old" DA had already let him go just before Halloween.

Bowden, who has successfully escaped justice in the past, was already out after making a measly $15,000 bond.

Bowden was charged for robbing a young white guy 7.8.08 in which he was allegedly one of 5 black thugs who chased down the victim and took his wallet at 10:55 p.m. in the 1100 block of Dauphine Street near Ursulines Street.

The victim picked Bowden out of a photo line up and positively identified him as one of his assailants. Bowden is 6' tall and weighs 160 pounds. His last known address was on Frenchmen Street, across St. Claude Avenue.

It's not known if he was armed when apprehended, but police arrested him 6.15.08 for carrying a concealed weapon.

(That charge was later reduced to disturbing the peace, to which he pled nolo contendre and got a 20-day sentence from Criminal District Court Judge Ben Willard, with credit for time served.)

Bowden is a familiar player in the street gang scene. He was arrested by 8th District detectives in fall 2007 as the ringleader of a gang of 5 or 6 young black boys, as young as 11 years old, who were terrorizing the Marigny Triangle.

The DA refused to prosecute him on charges of 1st-degree robbery and simple robbery, setting him free to strike again.

Guess not: Police thought they had arrested the guy who caused such a stir because his victim left such a prominent trail of blood around the Lower Quarter, but the DA on Friday (12.12.08) said no, refusing to prosecute Keith Sandridge.

Sandridge, 39, had been arrested 10.9.08 and charged 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.

We stand corrected: John Smith--a long-time NOcrimeline hater who goes by the email moniker "bumble007@gmail.com" -- admonishes us for one of our conclusions with a cheery email entitled "Error in your reporting (again)."

Since it sounds like he knows what he's talking about, we happily pass along his comments about our suggestion that police were writing up offenses as municipal cases to elude reporting them to the FBI. Smith writes:

"Wrong again. What court it goes to has nothing to do with the FBI reporting. A battery with a weapon and a battery without a weapon (where the victim receives a visible injury, such as a laceration), are all scored the same for FBI reporting. They are considered "assaults" and reported by the police to the FBI. They are also included in the UCR crime that is released."

So there.

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

Thom Kahler

Royal robbery suspect arrested

Very quietly: You can't accuse the NOPD of tooting its own horn in this case, but they managed to arrest a suspect early last month in 1 of 2 robberies in the 1300 block of Royal Street early the month before.

In checking the outstanding arrest warrants that NOcrimeline keeps track of, we discovered the police had arrested Taurus Legrandre, 27, on 11.3.08 for the armed robbery of 3 victims in October. Legrandre pled not guilty yesterday (12.12.08) in Criminal District Court before Judge Raymond Bigelow on 3 counts of armed robbery with a firearm. He is being held in OPP on $50,000 bond. His next court date is 1.6.09.

Neighbors in the vicinity of those 2 robberies (Royal between Barracks Street and Esplanade Avenue) were on edge after the robbery 10.10.08 of 2 women, both 24, and a man, 27, who were out walking just after midnight, when a man who hopped out of car and held them up at gunpoint.

Just 2 days before on 10.8.08 around 6:30 p.m., 5 black boys on bicycles tried to hold up a woman walking in he same block. 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.

Cop killing indictment: A federal grand jury on Thursday (12.11.08) indicted Ameal Parker (right), 46, for the murder of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent from Houston attending an anti-crime conference in New Orleans who was beaten to death and robbed before Hurricane Gustav.

On 8.28.08, Thomas Byrne (left), 40, was found by a passerby on Elysian Fields Avenue near the I-610/I-10 overpass at about 1:20 a.m. He was taken to the hospital where he died 8.30.08.

Police reports conflict. At first, they said Byrne had last been seen walking to his hotel in the CBD from the French Quarter. A later report, said Byrne was walking in the French Quarter when he apparently got lost and wandered into the 7th Ward across St. Claude Avenue, a known no-no for locals.

Based on filmed footage from private and city crime surveillance cameras investigators obtained a warrant to search a house in the 1300 block of Frenchmen Street, just across St. Claude. After FBI and DEA agents and NOPD cops the afternoon after Byrne's body was found, they arrested Parker and Joseph Miller, 50, and booked them with possession of stolen property and access device fraud after they allegedly used Byrne's credit cards. Miller was later cleared of those charges.

Can't anybody here shoot straight?: It took a long time, but perhaps this is what really happened in the shooting at Harrah's Casino last Saturday night (12.6.08):

At first, a man who was shot in the leg told police he was wounded by another guy; when surveillance videos showed otherwise, he admitted he shot himself.

Now, the NOPD says, he was a rent-a-cop assigned to guard valet parking and was "playing with his gun" when it went off and a bullet went through his thigh.

The NOPD issued a summons for the illegal discharge of a firearm to Ricky Matthew Jr., 23, who works for Black Hawk Security (the guys who last year wanted to charge you to protect the French Quarter...no thanks).

Did he or didn't he?: In the only report the 8th District put out this week, Maj. Edwin Hosli said his officers arrested a 38-year-old guy after he pulled a knife on his girlfriend during an argument at Loyola and Tulane avenues before fleeing on a RTA bus.

Though police gave the suspect's name and date of birth, there is no record of the man in court documents or booking information at Central Lockup.

Maybe it's this kind of record keeping that sets so many criminals free.

Speaking of which: Paul Starr, who was so viciously attacked by a black gangster last month while walking to Matassa's Market, recently showed up at a municipal court hearing for his attacker after learning about it on NOcrimeline. He had not received any official notice from the city attorney's office, so prosecutors were surprised he was there.

And after telling them his story, Starr said, "The city attorney was surprised that this hadn't gone to the district attorney...it looked like everyone was just working off of the handwritten notes that had been taken at the scene. I gave the attorney a copy of your webpage together with the information on the accused which I had also printed out, thanks to the links that you had posted on your website."

The hearing was continued until 12.30.08 because, Starr said, "I believe that...the city attorney is working to see if the charges can be moved to the DA's office."

The difference between the city attorney handling a case in municipal court and the district attorney handling it in criminal court is the difference between a wrist-slap and a full-blown criminal prosecution.

And the offense doesn't wind up on the FBI figures that show how bad crime is in New Orleans. Perhaps that's why we're seeing so many cases brushed off as municipal infractions--another way to down grade real crime.

Free, free at last: A panhandler who attacked a guy with a knife in the French Quarter this past summer has been freed by Criminal District Court Judge Frank Marullo Jr.

Steven Law, 26, pled guilty 11.24.08 to aggravated battery for attacking the victim while he was walking with a group of friends in the 1000 block of Decatur Street about 8:30 p.m. on 8.10.08. The gutter punk and his girlfriend began hustling the group for money, and when they refused to give them any, the punk pulled a knife and stabbed the victim in the leg. The victim's friends grabbed the assailant and held him until police arrived.

After Law pled guilty, Judge Marullo sentenced him to time served--just over 3 months. Doesn't sound like much for plunging a knife into someone.

And another goes free: A guy arrested this past summer for allegedly breaking into a residence at 525 Conti St. has gone free after the DA yesterday (12.12.08) not to prosecute him for burglary. Actually, Michael L. Bourgeois, 34, had been free since 7.12.08, 2 days after he had been arrested, thanks to Judge Marullo who released him on his own recognizance rather than forcing him to post $25,000 bond.

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

Thom Kahler

Double robbery spoils evening

Hooded hoodlums hunted: Two robberies last night (12.7.08) about an hour apart in the early evening are believed related.

• 6:29 p.m., 500 block of Burgundy Street near Toulouse Street: A couple walking along were accosted from the rear by a black guy who grabbed the victim's money clip from his rear pocket. The man's wife struck the thief with a ruler (shades of the nuns!) as the felon fled on Toulouse toward N. Rampart Street.

He was described at 5'10" tall, weighing 145 pounds, wearing a gray hoodie.

• 7:40 p.m., 1000 block of St. Louis Street: Slightly more than an hour later, the hoodlum rounded up a buddy and struck again just around the corner from the earlier robbery. This time, perhaps fearing another ruler attack, he came armed with a kitchen knife as he and his buddy snuck up on a 65-year-old white man from behind. They fled down St. Louis toward the river with the man's cellphone, keys and wallet containing $7.

The description of the knife-wielding robber was the same as in the previous robbery; his accomplice was described as also 5'10" tall, wearing a camouflaged hoodie.

These 2 thugs are still out there, waiting to strike again. Anyone with information on these thieves are asked to contact Detective Willie Jenkins at 658-6080, or you may also call CrimeStoppers anonymously at 822-1111 and make a few bucks turning these losers in.

Having a blast at Harrah's: A man who originally claimed to have been shot outside of Harrah's Casino on Saturday (12.6.08) around 10 p.m. was found to be lying when police rolled the video surveillance tapes.

When detectives confronted him, the victim admitted he had shot himself in the leg in the valet parking area of the casino. They issued him a summons and took him to the hospital.

There was no explanation, other than shear stupidity or carelessness, as to why he shot himself.

2 more go free: The DA's office--the old DA--quiet refused to prosecute a couple more suspects arrested by 8th District officers:

• Torray Thomas, 24, was set free 10.21.08. He had been charged with aggravated assault after he and another black man got into an argument in the early morning hours of 10.4.08 at the corner of Bourbon and St. Louis streets. Thomas allegedly left the scene and returned a short time later with a pistol, which he pointed at the other man before running away.

• Prince Richardson, 32, had charges of simple robbery and simple battery dropped by the DA in September after an incident 7.5.08 at the Astor Crown Plaza Hotel on Canal Street. Richardson was one of 3 men arrested after allegedly accosting another black man as he left a hotel room after going there with a strange black woman. Allegedly they demanded money from him and the victim gave them $400.
  

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

Thom Kahler

Woman attacked in her bed

Burglar breaks down front door: A 26-year-old woman living at 830 St. Ann St. awoke to a loud noise of her door being kicked in early Wednesday morning (12.3.08) and then found a hulking black man looming over her.

Before she knew it, he had her facing the wall and told her he would kill her if she moved or made a noise. He told her he was armed and pressed a cold object to the back of her neck. He repeatedly asked where she kept her money in the house, and she repeatedly told him there was no money in the house. He settled for her TV set and laptop computer and fled.

Within 2 hours after the 1:45 a.m. incident, police apprehended Frank Moody, 48, on N. Rampart Street and booked him with aggravated burglary. He is in OPP on $100,000 bond.

Moody should have never been on the street in the first place. When a hung jury in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court this spring failed to convict him on a charge of burglary of an inhabited dwelling late last year, Judge Ben Willard allowed Moody to plead guilty to the lesser charge of simple burglary.

Willard gave him a suspended 4-year sentence and sentenced him to probation designed to treat alcoholism and drug addiction. After Moody violated that probation, Willard made the terms of his probation even stricter this October: wear an ankle monitor, obey a 6 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew, and perform 500 hours of community service. He's now being held without bond for violating probation.

Burglaries the thing: A burglar who may have visited the same business twice found that 2 is too much (well, actually one is).

The proprietor of Dragon's Den, 435 Esplanade Ave., called police when he heard someone on the second floor of the business on 11.26.08 just before 1 p.m.

The police showed up and arrested John D. Petrie III, a 37-year-old white guy, and charged him with burglary. Then after investigating another burglary in the same block on 11.18.08, they charged him in that case too.

A charge of aggravated burglary against Petrie from last year, was thrown out of court this spring because the DA's office dilly-dallied too long in pressing the case.

It is not believed these burglaries are related to the 4 that occurred next door at Tomatillo's, a Mexican restaurant at 437 Esplanade (corner of Decatur Street), in the latter part of September and early October.

Video surveillance cameras showed a black man carting off several bottles of liquor and beer in a each of the burglaries, plus a couple of bicycles. There's been no word from the police whether or not they were able to identify and arrest the thief based on those video shots.

A dollar won't do: When a woman walking in the 1000 block of Iberville Street (between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets) at about 1 a.m. on 11.28.08 tried to fend off a black guy asking for money by giving him a dollar, he grabbed her purse instead. Police quickly caught up with Andrew Norris, 22, and arrested him for pursesnatching and carrying a concealed weapon.

So where's the crime?: We kept waiting for the reports to roll in after this past weekend's big Bayou Classic bash, but it was relatively quiet. Like last year, there were only a couple of relatively minor incidents--but lots of auto thefts. The flashy rides driven by college kids and alumni from elsewhere in the South were apparently too much for local thug element to resist. Bring the bling, and they will find you.

You can stop looking: Police finally arrested the woman with the exotic name but not the figure to match--Chiquita Blaise--about 10 days after putting a warrant on her after identifying her as one of 2 women wanted for attempting to rob a white woman 11.13.08 in the 200 block of N. Rampart Street.

Blaise, 23, 5'6" tall and weighing 195 pounds, and her accomplice, another black woman, allegedly both struck the victim while trying to get her purse. The victim fought back and the would-be robbers fled empty-handed. The victim, however, did positively identify Blaise in a photo line-up as one of her attackers.

Blaise was arrested 11.22.08 and 4 days later, Criminal District Court Judge Julian Parker released her on her own recognizance rather than require her to post $20,000 bond.

More on NOcrimeline: New Orleans Magazine's take on NOcrimeline is featured in an article by Chuck Hustmyre in its December issue.

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

Thom Kahler

HOW to get rid of Riley

After we advocated last week that Big Chief Warren Riley needed to be replaced sooner than later as police superintendent, he more or less sealed the deal in the public's eyes when he admitted his department was impotent to do anything about conquering crime in New Orleans. Invariably, readers here and elsewhere agree with NOcrimeline that Riley must go. But, they asked, how do we get rid of him?

Resignation: If he was smart enough to read the handwriting on the wall--or in the public press--Riley would resign. As of last Friday (11.28.08) he was eligible to retire with his full $172,000-a-year salary.

He might see his resignation at this time as capitulation to those calling for it. But he should also consider that the longer he stays, the more humiliating the terms of his departure might be.

Get while the getting is good might be the best for him.

Firing: Some, recognizing that Mayor Nagin is Riley's boss, wondered why he didn't fire him. Yeah, like why doesn't Nagin do anything to benefit the city?

Some suggested a recall petition drive. Sorry, the state's laws regarding recalls make the practice of democracy almost impossible here.

Others suggested a march on city hall. The last time thousands marched on city hall following a couple of high-profile murders, Nagin spewed words promising to make crime his number one priority. But since he has no priorities to begin with, the pecking order doesn't matter.

The City Council does have the power to remove the police chief, according to Section 3-125 of the Municipal Code which states: "The council may bring charges against any person appointed to the unclassified service for lack of qualifications, incompetence, neglect of duty, failure to comply with a lawful directive of the Civil Service Commission or gross misconduct in reference to that person's duties." Hmmm...sound like anybody we've been discussing?

Former District Attorney Harry Connick Sr. has already labeled Riley as "more than merely incompetent" for Riley's failure to protect evidence and supply reports to the DA's office. Rafael Goyeneche of the Metropolitan Crime Commission went even further, saying that "laxity and negligence on the part of the NOPD has resulted in additional crime in this city."

Perhaps the council would be willing to form a "Connick Commission" to compile the evidence against Riley as a prelude to dismissing him. Or maybe Robert Cerasoli, the new inspector general, could proceed posthaste with an investigation into Riley's failures. (Cerasoli, however, seems so overwhelmed with grist for his mill that this city generates that he's virtually immobilized.)

Waiting for the mayor to act is waiting for the 2010 election when there will be a new mayor. Nagin shows no indication now of doing any more than he's done in the last 6 years: nothing.

The City Council may be prepared to act, particularly since 2 or 3 members on it seem to be eying the 2010 mayor's race.

Pressure from power brokers: When the train wreck that was Eddie Jordan went completely off the track as DA, it was the powerful moneyed interests in the city who engineered the deal that got him out of Dodge a year ago. This posse needs to mount up and ride again.

Money has always talked in New Orleans, subtly perhaps but distinctly. Many who make up this elite class are the moguls of tourism, and while we have to live here and endure the ravages of crime, it is tourism that suffers the most economically. A robber might get $20 from our pocket, but crime costs hotels and restaurants millions in lost tourism.

Joe Jaeger, who led a group that purchased the Omni Royal Orleans hotel last spring, told Councilman James Carter in an email this fall, "I believe crime is at a point where it will be affecting commerce and I have told the hotels I am involved with to warn guests to be careful."

Hotel occupancy is well below the rosy numbers often touted publicly by tourism officials, Jaeger said. "Despite what you may read in the paper as it relates to occupancy in the area hotels, it is all false. Most are still running at somewhere between 50% and 60% occupancy for the year."

After New Orleans was christened as the crime capital of the U.S. last week, the rumors started to fly that travel agencies in other cities were trying to persuade their clients from traveling to the Crescent City. Tourists already here reported their travel agents looked at them like they were crazy when they said they wanted to go to New Orleans. A number of NOcrimeline.com readers write and ask if the crime really is that bad in the city. Others say they've decided to wait to visit until they're convinced it's safe.

Once New Orleans cements its reputation as the most dangerous city in the U.S., it will take a long time to change that perception. Look how long it took to convince visitors that the city wasn't still under water from Katrina. It was take a major event to erase the perception of being crime riddled. Some thing like a new police chief.

The powerful in the tourism business have the ears of the politicians who can do something. Nagin, who's bound to crave higher office after he's seen the bright lights and heights of power, will listen to money. Members of the city council, a number of whom have aspirations to be the next mayor, will listen to money.

As Jaeger eagerly told Carter in the fall, "Something needs to be done, and we need someone to step up in the political arena and take charge. Is there anything we can do? This is not my expertise but I would be willing to contribute people and dollars to help in any way I can. Something needs to happen."

(Carter, head of the council's Criminal Justice Committee, said he sees no problem with crime. If he runs for mayor, remember that.)

Jaeger and his cohorts need to step up and now and take their stance. The longer they wait to effect Riley's ouster, the greater and faster the problem will grow.

How will this happen? You, as a citizen, must make your concern known. Forget Nagin. Let your City Council representative know that you mean business. And let businesses know that they must speak up because you're prepared to warn friends and relatives against coming to New Orleans until crime is reduced and the streets are safe again.

Action must come now. New Orleans must show the world that it is serious about doing what it takes to make the streets safe again, rather than just lapsing into the old lazy attitude of the Big Easy. And that means getting a new police chief who can get the job done.

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

Thom Kahler