Don't let your guard down

Crime spree in Lower Quarter: We were bragging about how crime had become non-existent in the Lower French Quarter in the past 3 months. I guess we forgot to knock on wood.

A couple of armed robberies yesterday (5.4.09) and other robberies over the weekend put an end to that tranquility and makes it look like the Lower Quarter is now targeted by thieves:

• 4:34 p.m. yesterday: A white guy walking in the 1100 block of Burgundy Street (between Gov. Nicholls and Ursulines streets) was robbed by a black dude who had his hand under his shirt as if he had a weapon. (What? Are the bad guys so poor these days they can't afford the real thing? There's been a lot of posing like this lately. One of these days a robber is going to meet up with a victim who has the real thing.) The robber fled on foot on Ursulines toward N. Rampart Street to make his get away.

He was described as 18 to 21 years old, 6' tall, weighing 155 pounds, with a dark complexion and shoulder-length dreadlocks, wearing a baggy black T-shirt and dark shorts.

• 10:32 p.m. later that day: 4 white women in their 50's and 60's were walking in the 1000 block of Chartres Street (between Ursulines and St. Philip streets) were robbed of their purses by a black guy brandishing a pistol. He fled to Ursulines where he hopped into a dark-colored sedan and took off.

You'd think 4 mature women would be able to give a better description than this: no age, 5'7" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with short hair, wearing dark clothing. Not much to go on ladies--a little too much merlot?

So-called simple robberies: Because no gun is used (or the robber isn't pretending to have one), these crimes go down as "simple" robberies. But often the victim suffers more injuries than he would in an armed robbery:

• Saturday (5.2.09) midnight: A white guy (maybe a little too much merlot too) was meandering in the 700 block of Ursulines Street (between Royal and Bourbon streets) when he was approached from behind and knocked to the ground. His assailant stole his wallet and cell phone.

Because he didn't get a look at his attacker (or hadn't yet sobered up), the victim didn't bother to report the incident to the NOPD until Monday. A lot of good he did to warn his neighbors of the danger in that area.

• Sunday (5.4.09) 2:50 p.m.: A white guy walking near Dauphine and Gov. Nicholls streets was approached by a black panhandler asking for money. When the victim took cash out of his pocket, the creep grabbed the money and ran.

The robber was described as 5'10" tall, weighing 170 pounds. What? No age? Not wearing clothes? That victim sure's not helping track down these scumbags!

• Monday (5.4.09) 12:01 a.m.: A white gentleman walking near Dauphine and Toulouse streets passed 2 black boys and their 'ho who asked if he wanted to "have a good time." The gentleman ignored her offer, then several seconds later heard footsteps coming from behind as he was struck by the 2 pimps. One took his keys and all 3 fled on Toulouse toward N. Rampart Street.

The victim flagged down a cop car and the officers managed to apprehend one of the boys, who turned out to be a juvenile so his name couldn't be released.

The other two suspects who got away were described as a black boy, 14 to 16 years of age, 5'6" tall, weighing 140 pounds, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans; a black girl, 14 to 16 years of age, 5'6" tall, a little on the chubby side, weighing 150 pounds, wearing a brown sundress.

Now the question is this: Didn't any of the cops on patrol notice this trio of underage kids violating curfew? That's what the curfew law is for--to get these punks off the street before they hurt someone and get themselves in trouble.

• Monday (5.4.09) 6:30 p.m.: Showing you can't let your guard down for even a minute, a white guy who stopped in the 600 block of Gravier Street (between St. Charles Avenue and Camp Street) left his car running and his doors unlocked as he and a woman with him got out to use an ATM. As he did, a black thug hopped in the car and ordered 2 other women who were in the car's back seat out of the car and he drove off in the vehicle.

Cops caught up with Keiron Jordan, 27, and charged him with a list of offenses: carjacking, possession of a stolen auto, resisting arrest, aggravated flight from an officer, and 3 counts of hit-and-run driving.

Jordan had at least one prior arrest for being a felon in possession of a firearm last year, but the DA didn't bother to prosecute that.

Taking it seriously, finally: The NOPD apparently has manned up and took responsibility for investigating a rape a week ago that 2 other police departments didn't want to touch because they couldn't be sure the offense happened in their jurisdictions.

Detectives from the NOPD's sex crimes unit drove to Jackson, MS to interview the 21-year-old victim. From her description of her attacker, they developed a composite sketch of the suspect.

He is described as being a light, white-skinned man, 25 to 30 years old, 5'10" to 6' tall, weighing 190 to 200 pounds, with diamond stud earrings in both ears, and last seen wearing a black T-shirt, blue jeans and black tennis shoes.

The victim accepted a ride with the stranger in a pick-up truck in the 1000 block of Canal Street (near Rampart) around 2 a.m. on 4.26.09. She asked to be taken to a friend's house, but the driver pulled a gun and order the woman to lie on the floor of the pick-up as he drove. She noticed they drove across the Crescent City Connection to the West Bank where he raped her before dropping her off in Gretna.

Neither the Gretna Police nor the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department wanted to investigate the case because they didn't believe the crime was committed in their boundaries, leaving the NOPD to fill the void.

What's he look like?: Criminal Sheriff Marlin Gusman has been monkeying with his computer and it's playing havoc with our ability to bring you pictures of arrested suspects and their court cases.

Don't know why he's messing with it, but it's making it increasingly difficult to get suspects' mugshots, see what happened in previous cases, or link to court cases.

Surely the sheriff has better things to do than mess with a system that worked well before he started screwing with it.

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

Thom Kahler