Teen killer outfoxes cops

Hiding in Iberville: We've all been spending a lot of energy worrying about whether the 3 teens involved in Wendy Byrne's death are going to be tried as adults. But they're safely in jail.

What we should be worrying about is the young punk who's wanted for murder who's been scurrying around the Iberville Housing Project, eluding the NOPD at every turn for over a month.

Since the French Quarter is only a hop, skip and jump from that crime hellhole, you can bet he's been using our neighborhood as his playground--just as Wendy Byrne's killers did.

Asst. Chief Marlon Defillo admitted last week that Shateek Howard--the 16-year-old black boy wanted for shooting a teenage girl to death and for pumping her boyfriend full of lead Uptown last fall--has been spotted numerous times in the Iberville project since he escaped from custody 2.11.09 while being escorted from Juvenile Court on Loyola Avenue.

Defillo said officers have pursued Howard on foot several times, but the maze that is Iberville has confounded them each time.

C'mon guys! This is a suspected murderer you say should be considered "dangerous and possibly armed"--he's not just some truant!

What's wrong with cordoning off that sleazy sanctuary and going door to door until you find this little punk?

Certainly the NOPD doesn't plan to wait until he comes to the Quarter some night and takes out another citizen. Do they?

Weekends only?: Crime seems to have become a weekend sport. With one exception on St. Patrick's Day (and one last night at the House of Blues), the only crimes reported by the 8th District the past couple of weeks have all seemed to occur on the weekends:

• Saturday (3.21.09): A black woman working as a cashier at the parking lot at N. Peters and St. Philip streets was robbed around 12:15 .m. by a black man wielding a pistol. Or rather, she fled and the robber helping himself to the loot in the till.

A security guard working on the lot attempted to apprehend the robber as he fled on foot and a struggle ensued. The managed to break free from the guard and escaped in a gray car.

8th District officers later apprehended Samuel L. Duncan Jr., 20, and charged him with armed robbery with a firearm and simple battery. He's in OPP on $110,000 bond.

• Sunday (3.22.09): A black man parking his car at the corner of Dauphine and Dumaine streets around 4:45 a.m. was approached by a black dude who pulled a gun and demanded his car keys.
  

The thief fled up Dauphine Street in the car, a black 2005 Nissan Maxima, Louisiana license PRA 501.

The suspect was described as 6' tall, weighing 165 pounds, clean shaven with short hair, wearing a long white T-shirt, blue jeans, and a black jacket.

• Sunday (3.22.09): This sounds like one of those discussions among "professionals". Around 5 a.m., 2 white women walking near Bourbon and Conti streets were approached by a black chick they had exchanged words with earlier in the evening.

The black woman began to fight with one of the white chicks when a black dude came up and conked the white chick in the head with a pistol, then pointed it at the other white girl. The fighting thus stopped and the black guy picked up the white woman's purse from the ground and fled with the black chick in a tan SUV.

Apparently considering their options, the 2 white female victims waited several hours before notifying the police about the incident. When they did, they identified the man as being in his 20's, 5'10" tall, weighing 190 pounds.

And in other violent news: A couple of fights outside the weekends pattern resulted in arrests:

• St. Patrick's Day (3.17.09): A couple of white guys got into it in a strip club in the 600 block of Iberville Street around 9:24 p.m. (We initially reported the incident occurred in the Artists Cafe at 608 Iberville, based on info from the NOPD. But the owner of another club across the street tells us Artists has been shut for a year and a half, and that the club in question here was next door to Artists called Dixie Divas.) When one left to go into the restroom, he was followed by the other, who pulled a knife and attempted to stab him. The would-be victim punched his assailant, who dropped the knife. The victim picked it up and went outside where he flagged down a passing cop.

The officer arrested Enrique Vogt, 32, and charged him with aggravated assault and damage of state property. He posted $3,000 bond and got out of OPP.

• Monday (3.23.09): A melee at the House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., last night around 8:55 p.m. resulted in 2 guys, including the club's manager, being slashed with a boxcutter and another patron being arrested. During an argument, a 20-year-old white guy allegedly took out the knife and began swinging it around, cutting an 18-year-old patron on his left side. When the 36-year-old club manager attempted to break up the fight, he was cut on his right thigh.

Though wounded, the manager managed to subdue the perp until police arrived. Police charged Daniel Edwards with 2 counts of aggravated battery.

Dealers beware: 8th District cops have been making a fair share of drug busts in the French Quarter, mostly by keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. Most of the arrests go down as first-time marijuana use, but every once in awhile they nab a would-be dealer.

Last Thursday night (3.19.09), Ofc. Anthony Bakewell and Ofc. Brandon Ludwig arrested Aubrey Young, 22, at Iberville and Decatur streets and charged him with distribution of marijuana, plus 2 parole violations and 2 warrants for possession of controlled dangerous substances.

Last year he beat a charge of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine by pleading to a reduced charge of simple possession of crack. He got a 2-year suspended sentence from Judge Terry Alarcon.

Last year he beat a charge of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine by pleading to a reduced charge of simple possession of crack. He got a 2-year suspended sentence from Judge Terry Alarcon.

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

Thom Kahler