Spoke too soon: Just when we thought crime might have been tamed a little, a couple of incidents say otherwise:
- Monday (4.27.09), 2 a.m.: A white woman walking in the 2100 block of Chartres Street (between Frenchmen Street and Elysian Fields Avenue) was robbed of her purse by a black dude armed with a pistol.
The victim didn't do anything to help catch the crook--she waited 15 hours to call 911. She described the robber as in his early 20's, 5'7" tall, weighing 140 pounds, with a dark complexion, clean shaven and a short haircut. What was he wearing? Oh, that's right: kind of hard to remember after 15 hours of sleeping it off.
- Wednesday (4.29.09), 10:30 a.m.: A white couple walking in the 1200 block
of Burgundy Street (between Barracks and Gov. Nicholls streets) were robbed in broad daylight by a giant of a white man with a toy pistol. He made off with their purse and wallet, fleeing on foot down Gov. Nicholls toward the river.
The robber was described as in his 20's, 6'4" tall, weighing 200 pounds, muscular build, wearing a long black shirt and khaki shorts. Surveillance cameras in the area captured this photograph (right) of the perpetrator as he fled the crime scene.
- Tuesday (4.28.09), 3:25 a.m.: An Asian woman standing near Canal Stree
t and Convention Center Boulevard had her purse grabbed from her shoulder by a black guy who fled on foot down Canal toward St. Charles Avenue. Cops caught up with Byron Asmore, 45, and charged him for the crime. He is being held in OPP on $25,000 bond awaiting a hearing 6.13.09.
- Wednesday (4.29.09), 5:27 a.m.: A while guy walking in the 400 blo
ck of Bourbon Street (between Conti and St. Louis streets) was approached by a black panhandler who asked him for some money. When the victim took his wallet from his pocket, the panhandler grabbed it and fled on foot up Bourbon, turning on Conti toward N. Rampart Street.
Cops caught Kenneth Wiley, 50, and charged him with simple robbery and flight from an officer. He's sitting in OPP on a $50,500 bond awaiting a hearing 6.30.09.
Did you hear the one about?: You probably read the story this morning in the Times-Picayune about a rape that was not so much a who-done-it as a where-was-it-done.
Seems a 21-year-old Mississippi woman accepted a ride in the 1000 block of Canal Street (near Rampart Street) on Sunday (4.26.09) around 2 a.m. and asked to be taken to a friend's house. But the driver went another direction, then pulled a gun and ordered the woman to lie on the floor of the pick-up truck as he drove. She could see that he drove across the Crescent City Connection to the West Bank. He raped her shortly after that but she doesn't know where they were; he then dropped her off in Gretna.
Because the exact location of the rape can't be determined, neither the NOPD, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, nor Gretna Police want to touch the case. Bad for crime stats, you know.
In case anyone does investigate, the victim described her attacker as in his late 20's, with a shaved head, and wearing a black T-shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes. She didn't say whether he was white or black, but did note his pick-up truck was silver or gray with 4 doors and a dark gray interior.
Then, to compound confusion, a similar case happened this morning (4.30.09) just before 5 a.m. when a 19-year-old black girl got into a truck with a black man on Canal Street at Bourbon Street. He drove her to New Orleans East around Chef Menteur Highway and I-10 East where he forced her at gunpoint to perform various sexual acts.
There was no description of the perpetrator or the man's vehicle, but what are the odds? This kind of thing go on all time on Canal Street?
Strike up the band!: The response to our call for support yesterday for The Roots of Music program, has struck an enthusiastic note in the community.
The first to respond with his $20 donation was Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District. You can contribute by clicking here on The Roots of Music.
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As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.comThom Kahler
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