It just never ends

2 more caught: 8th District cops rounded up 2 more black boys just beginning their career in crime.

The duo were believed to be the culprits in the robbery of a white man walking in the 800 block of St. Charles Avenue (between Julia and St. Joseph streets in the CBD) around 12:32 a.m. last Saturday (3.20.10). One of them allegedly grabbed the victim and demanded his money.

Arrested a short time later were Claude Washington (top), 17, and Willie Batiste (bottom), 18. Both were charged with simple robbery and are sitting in OPP on $15,000 bond each.

Bike bandit strikes again: The notorious bandit who's been swooping down on unsuspecting victims has struck again.

This time the victim was a white woman walking in the 100 block of Baronne Street (just across Canal Street in the CBD) around 11:55 p.m. last Tuesday (3.23.10). The black bandit was on a red bicycle when he grabbed the woman's purse before fleeing on his bike up Baronne toward Common Street where he turned toward O'Keefe Avenue.

He was described as 35 to 40 years old, wearing all dark-colored clothing.

Suspicious victim?: A robbery reported by a white guy last Saturday (3.20.10) has been questioned by 8th District detectives who said they "are suspicious of our victim's account of what actually occurred." They said the incident will be classified as an armed robbery "until additional facts become available."

According to the victim, 2 black guys accosted him around 12:30 a.m. in the 900 block of Burgundy Street (between St. Philip and Dumaine streets). One pulled a pistol and demanded his money, which he gave up. The 2 fled on foot down Burgundy toward Esplanade Avenue.

The victim described his assailants as 20 to 25 years old, one 6'2" tall, weighing 170 to 180 pounds, wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans; the other was 6'1" tall, weighing 150 to 170 pounds, wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans.

The rest of the robberies: They just never to away. Add these robberies to the list:

• Sunday (3.21.10) 11:15 p.m.: No one's safe. Classify this as "brother-on-brother" crime. A pair of black guys were walking in the 600 block of N. Rampart Street (between Toulouse and St. Peter streets) when they were held up by a black brother who pulled a gun on them. The robber fled to a car parked near Toulouse and Burgundy streets, which then sped the wrong way on Toulouse toward Rampart.

The robber was described as 20 to 30 years old, 5'8" tall, with a thin build (sounds like they could have kicked the crap out of the little punk) and long dreadlocks, wearing a black jacket, white T-shirt and blue jeans.

• Tuesday (3.23.10) 3:05 a.m.: And now "brother-on-sister" crime. A black woman walking near Bienville and N. Rampart streets was robbed by 2 black, one of whom slugged her with an unknown object and knocked her to the ground, while the other grabbed her purse. They fled to a car parked on N. Rampart which took off toward Canal Street.

One of the robbers was described as 5'10" tall, with a dark complexion, gold teeth and braids, wearing a black T-shirt; the other was described only as wearing a dark-colored baseball cap and blue jeans.

• Tuesday (3.23.10) 4:00 a.m.: Back to racially-charged crimes. A white guy was walking in the 800 block of St. Ann Street (between Bourbon and Dauphine streets) when he was attacked by a black dude who pushed him to the ground and took his wallet. The crook fled on foot.

He was described as 25 years old, 6' tall, with a pony tail, wearing a black T-shirt and black pants.

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

Thom Kahler

Wait, there's more...

Black marks of another kind: With all the interest in graffiti earlier in the week, a dozen robberies from last weekend got shoved to the back burner--including 8th District detectives busting 3 black boys for a raft of robberies.

Arrested on Sunday (3.14.10) were:

• Darrius Castleberry, 19, charged with 7 counts of armed robbery with a firearm and 1 count of aggravated battery. He is being held in OPP on $1.175 million bond.

• Demarcus Magee, 20, charged with 6 counts of armed robbery with a firearm and 1 count of aggravated battery. He is being held on $1.375 million bond.

• Rashad Young, 17, charged with 3 counts of armed robbery with a firearm. He is being held on $775,000 bond.

The trio was arrested after 3 robberies on the weekend in the CBD and French Quarter:

• Saturday (3.13.10) 3:15 a.m.: A white man walking in the 100 block of Carondelet Street (just across Canal Street from Bourbon Street) when he was stuck up by 3 black dudes, one of whom pulled a pistol. The victim complied and the robbers fled on foot up Carondelet.

• Saturday (3.13.10) 3:30 a.m.: 2 white men were held up while walking near Bienville and Burgundy streets by 3 black men using the same M.O. as above.

• Sunday (3.14.10) 11:05 p.m.: A white man and 2 white females were robbed at gunpoint by 3 black guys near Loyola and Tulane avenues.

It was after this robbery that police responding to the scene were able to apprehend the trio as they fled on foot. After they were booked into Central Lockup, detectives managed to link them as suspects in the other robberies.

The rest of the robberies:

• Friday (3.12.10) 12:42 a.m.: A white man walking in the 800 block of Perdido Street near Carondelet Street was held up by a black guy brandishing a pistol.

The suspect, who fled on Carondelet toward Canal Street, was described as 6' tall, weighing 190 pounds, wearing a dark-colored zip-up sweatshirt, dark jeans, and a black baseball cap.

• Friday (3.12.10) 3:30 a.m.: An Asian male walking in the 300 block of Poydras Street (between Tchoupitoulas and S. Peters streets) was robbed at gunpoint by a black thug.

The perp was described as 35 to 40 years old, 6'2" tall, with a thin to medium build, wearing a black hoodie.

• Friday (3.12.10) 4:45 a.m.: A white man walking near Elysian Fields Avenue and N. Rampart Street was accosted by 2 black dudes, one of whom pushed him to the ground and stole the contents of his pockets. The crooks fled on foot up N. Rampart Street toward Esplanade Avenue.

One suspect was described as in his mid-20's, 5'5" tall, with a thin build and shoulder-length dreadlocks, wearing dark clothing; the other was said to be in his late 20's, with a heavy build, wearing dark clothing.

• Saturday (3.13.10) 2:08 a.m.: A white woman walking in the 300 block of Perdido Street when she was accosted by 3 black dudes. One pushed her to the ground and demanded her money. She refused and pulled a knife of her own to defend herself, and the thugs took off running.

She described them all as 5'7" tall, 2 with thin builds and 1 with a heavy build; the thin ones with light complexions, one wearing a tan jacket and red baseball cap and the other wearing a brown shirt; the heavy one wearing a gray hoodie.

• Saturday (3.13.10) 4:00 a.m.: A white woman had her purse snatched by a black guy while walking on Canal Street near Dorsiere Street (a one-block street next to Decatur Street) who fled on foot up Iberville Street.

He is described as in his 30's, 6'2" tall, with a thin build and short hair.

• Saturday (3.13.10) 3:35 p.m.: A white couple near Burgundy and Pauger streets in the Marigny Triangle were approached by a black dude driving a 4-door, gold-colored Chrysler sedan who pulled along side them and pulled a pistol, demanding their money. They complied and the robber drove off up Burgundy toward Esplanade Avenue.

The perp was described as 25 to 35 years old, 5'10" tall, with a medium build and wearing all black clothing.

• Sunday (3.14.10) 3:35 p.m.: A white man walking on Dauphine Street near Ursulines Street was knocked to the ground by a black guy who then grabbed his wallet and fled.

The robber was described as 5'9" tall, weighing 150 pounds, with short hair.

• Sunday (3.14.10) 4:30 p.m.: A white woman getting into her car in the 200 block of LaSalle Street near Cleveland Avenue was approached by an older black guy who pulled a gun and demanded she drive him to an ATM. The woman drove several blocks before hopping out of the car and fleeing on foot. The thief took the car and fled; police later recovered the vehicle.

The culprit was described as in his 50's, 5'9" tall, with a thin build and wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.

Bicycle bandit profiled: 8th District detectives have finally linked the slew of pursesnatchings, largely in the French Quarter, by a bandit on a bicycle to one suspect.

According to Major Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, police believe all those robberies are the work of one man, based on his modus operandi and the descriptions given by the victims:

• The robberies occurred between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. in an area from a few blocks inside the CBD to Esplanade Avenue in the Quarter, and from Rampart Street to Chartres Street.
• The robber is a black man, 25 to 35 years old, 5'9" to 5'11" tall, weighing 150 to 165 pounds, with short hair.
• The bicycle bandit has used 2 different bikes. One is a dark-colored beachcruiser-type; the other is a small-framed dark-colored bike.

The bike bandit struck most recently on St. Patrick's evening (Wednesday, 3.17.10) around 9:05 p.m. when he swooped down on a white woman walking near Decatur and Dumaine streets. He grabbed her wallet from her purse and fled on Dumaine to Chartres Street, then toward Esplanade Avenue.

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

Thom Kahler

Leaving a black mark

Graffiti artists targeted: Never mind 9 robberies in the 8th District over the weekend, what residents are up in arms about is graffiti. No one can argue that it is getting worse than ever in the French Quarter, but police have made some arrests:

• 3.5.10: 8th District cops grabbed a guy and a girl spraying graffiti on a wall at Conti and Dauphine streets around 11:30 p.m. Another guy was seen painting too but fled the scene; his cohorts later ratted him out to the cops. Arrested were: Derrick Steele, 21, Douglas Walker, 21, and Claire Caputo, 19. All are white. (Pictured right, a wall at 900 Conti Street at Dauphine Street.)
  

They were all charged with criminal damage under the Municipal Code and were issued summonses to appear in Municipal Court, so we're not likely to see their mugshots nor know the outcome of their trials.

Some residents were up in arms after Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th, announced at last week's NONPAC meeting that the apprehensions had been made. They wanted the names of the accused, which some felt were being withheld because the girl was rumored to come from a "prominent" family, whose father was the owner or manager of a well-known hotel. Turns out her father works at a hotel in the Quarter, but could hardly be called "prominent."

Their misdeeds happened in the same neighborhood that has fallen victim to a lot of graffiti lately, including the home of CoCo Paddison, former president of French Quarter Citizens, at Burgundy and Toulouse streets (above), just 2 blocks from where this trio was arrested.

• 11.30.09: Police arrested 6 members of a graffiti gang who called themselves "Reclaim The Streets" after they caught them spray painting "Free Lil Wayne" on the front of 915 Conti St. around 9 p.m.

Although the 6 were also charged with disturbing the peace and resisting arrest by fleeing, in addition to criminal damage to property for the graffiti, no names were released by the NOPD. The disposition of their cases are unknown.

• 10.8.09: Police officers investigation suspicious activity in the 700 block of Camp Street arrested Andrew Botto, 30, on narcotics charges, as well as criminal damage for spraying graffiti at 732 Camp. He was arrested on a state charge on Sunday (3.14.10), hence his mugshot.

• 5.3.08: A resident and his wife were returning to their home on Dauphine Street just after 11 p.m. when they saw 2 boys spray painting graffiti on a gate at 1137 Dauphine. They followed them while calling 911, and then flagging down a cop car which apprehended the duo at Bourbon Street and Esplanade Avenue.

Both were from out of town, and one was a juvenile. The older of the 2, Dustin Sanders, 22, was also charged with possession of marijuana and issued a summons to municipal court for the graffiti. It's not likely he appeared on the graffiti charge since he skipped out on a $500 bond on the pot charge. If he ever shows up in these parts again, the bond is $25,000 if he's arrested.

The graffiti problem, and possible solution: The problem is: the law is lax, the police seemingly disinterested, and the courts dismissive:

• The law: Most graffitists are charged under the Municipal Code (Sec. 54-151)--which means they get what amounts to a ticket to show up in Municipal Court. (That means we never know what happens to them, since the Municipal Court has no web presence--and who knows who the judges are?)

If found guilty, the penalty under the Municipal Code is:

• A mandatory fine of $100 up to $500.
• Community service of a minimum of 7 hours up to 21 hours "cleansing and restoration of property defaced by graffiti."
• "Complete financial restitution necessary to cover the costs of restoring any property defaced by the person's actions."
• In addition, the judge has the discretion to order the graffitist to jail for up to 3 months.

The state law (RS 14-56.4), which the NOPD seldom uses, gives the judge more discretion:

• A fine of up to $500 and up to 6 months in jail if the damage amounts to $500 or less; if the damage is over $500, the fine is up to $1,000 and the jail time up to 2 years. (For damage over $50,000, the fine is up to $10,000 and there is a mandatory jail sentence of at least one year up to 10 years.)
• Community service of up to 32 hours for the first offense may be ordered, but is not mandatory, as in the Municipal Code.
• Restitution or clean up of graffiti damaged property is also optional with the judge.
  

• The police: The 8th District, as do most cops, consider crimes against people (such as hold-ups, for instance) paramount to their job of keeping the citizenry safe. Property crimes (such as graffiti) are not considered life-threatening, even though the French Quarter might look like it's reverting to a slum.

They do make arrests if they see a graffitist in action, they just don't bother to send out reports about these arrests, as rare as they are.

Their use of the municipal statute rather than the state may actually put more bite on the criminal, but state charges would make these defacers of the French Quarter more visible.

• The courts: The Municipal Court is the dispenser of virtually invisible justice. I'm not really sure of where it's located, nor could I name you one judge who sits on the bench there. I do know it has no website and therefore, unlike Criminal District Court where state charges are tried, it is almost impossible to find out what has happened with any particular defendant: guilty or not? penalty?

Without the transparency in Municipal Court--and thus accountability of the judges--found in Criminal Court, who knows whether the graffitist are getting a tougher deal under a tougher law, or whether they're merely being turned loose as "boys just being boys."

A solution, maybe: As the Legislature cranks up, this might be the perfect time to lobby your state representatives to take up the issue of graffiti.

Too often, graffiti is treated as a mere nuisance; in the French Quarter it is much more: it is the defacing of a National Historic Landmark. There is no artistry in the crude and unimaginative scribblings of these dregs of society roaming the neighborhood.

Instead, urge your lawmaker to make the state penalty as severe (with mandatory fines and imprisonment) as the Municipal Code--maybe even tougher with much greater fines and jail terms.

Perhaps ask them even to put a tax on spray paints or require the registration of their sale. This might either deter purchase of the paints by graffitists or aid in their capture and arrest. (The Municipal Code already prohibits the selling of spray paints to minors.)

Now is the time to do something other than moan and groan about the problem. Let's stop treating this as child's play.

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

Thom Kahler

Why all the fuss?

What's with that?: Why all that fuss by Big Chief Warren Riley over a drunken rich tourist who trespassed his way to death?

Folks, drunks go missing from Bourbon Street every weekend and aren't heard from again until they emerge from their stupor a couple of days later and figure out who they are.

So what makes this guy from Houston so special to merit the efforts of 30 detectives, a hoard of 8th District cops, FBI agents, the Harbor Police and Coast Guard--plus a sonar-equipped boat and super-sensitive search dog his colleagues sent in, not to mention the $25,000 they put in the Crimestoppers' kitty?

For all their efforts--including patching together all the video surveillance tape they could find to trace his every step after he left Razzoo's Bar & Patio in the 500 block of Bourbon Street--it still took them 4 days to find him 5 blocks away, beneath the Natchez paddlewheeler in the river.

(No such effort was made a couple of years ago when a 28-year-old father of 3 from Dallas went missing--also from Razzoo's--on Mardi Gras night. In that case, relatives told NOcrimeline that they couldn't get any information from the NOPD on their search, until finally the guy's body was found 6 weeks later submerged in his SUV in a Metairie canal.)

What we're hearing--and it sounds very plausible--we have tourism officials to thank for pressuring Riley and his minions into pretending they're a professional and efficient police force.

With 35,000 orthopedic surgeons in town this past weekend--the largest convention here since 2007--the convention and visitors' bureau wanted to put its best foot forward. The leaders of the doctors' convention--which is said to bring in over $100 million to the city--were reportedly due to decide this week before they left town if they wanted to return in the future for up to 3 conventions in New Orleans.

Not sure who corralled Riley (no reason to believe Mayor Nagin was in this loop either) and said, "Warren--old buddy, old buddy--let me tell you how important it is that the NOPD looks competent for a change..."

Nevertheless, it shows the power businessmen can have over the quality of life in the city if they'd just apply their clout.

Too bad they didn't flex their muscle sooner to get rid of Riley or at least mobilize him to deal with the rampant crime in the city.

If Riley and the NOPD--not to mention the FBI--had so much manpower to spare in this manhunt for a drunk, why not use it now on some of the unsolved crimes that have accumulated on Riley's watch?

Rape?: Like all rapes reported in New Orleans, facts are few. The only fact is it allegedly happened after 3 a.m. Sunday (3.7.10)--to an unnamed woman of untold age at an unknown location after leaving an unidentified "establishment" on Bourbon Street.

Police put out a photo taken by a surveillance camera from who-knows-where that shows the alleged assailant. The victim described him as a white boy, with a fair complexion, brown hair, and wearing a baseball cap.

Graffiti suspects?: Sometimes surveillance videos are not all they're cracked up to be. The 8th District sent out a grainy photo of a couple of boys supposedly responsible for graffiti in the French Quarter (and who wouldn't like to see those punks brought to justice).

There's no indication where or when the picture was taken, but Ofc. Brian Shubert, who sends out the 8th District's reports, had to wrestle with this one to be able to view it at all. What he got from the video surveillance tape was an upside down mirror image that he had to reverse and flip.
Once he did that, we could at least tell it was a couple of white boys wearing gray hoodies with some illegible insignias on the front.

(A couple of days after we posted this, a reader sent us a much sharper image of the original picture--and correctly reversed so you can read the writing on the suspects' hoodies. One says "Akomkas" --whatever that means-- and the other reads "Billabong." The picture was from a video surveillance tape captured on 1.15.10 in the 500 block of Burgundy Street.)

Steals on wheels: Last week, iPhones were all the rage among thieves. This week you have to beware of robbers swooping down on you on bicycles:

• Friday (3.5.10) 7:24 p.m.: A white woman walking in the 900 block of Chartres Street (between St. Philip and Dumaine streets) had her purse snatched by a black boy who rode by on a dark-colored bicycle.

He is described as 5'11" tall, weighing 140 pounds, with a medium complexion, wearing dark clothing.

• Saturday (3.6.10) 1:41 a.m.: 5 white men walking in the 1200 block of Bourbon Street (between Gov. Nicholls and Barracks streets) were held up at gunpoint by a pistol-wielding black thug, who took their money and fled on foot down Barracks toward N. Rampart Street.

He was described as 5'10" tall, weighing 150 pounds, wearing a dark hoodie and dark pants.

• Sunday (3.7.10) 3:40 a.m.: A white woman walking near Royal and St. Philip streets was accosted by 2 black thugs, one of whom grabbed her purse before they fled on foot on Chartres Street, turning toward Canal Street.

One was described as 6' tall, weighing 160 pounds, with a thin build, wearing a purple hoodie; the other was 6'1" tall, weighing 165 pounds, wearing a dark hoodie.

• Sunday (3.7.10) 4:15 a.m.: 2 white guys walking near Bourbon and St. Philip streets were attacked by a gang of 3 black punks who hit them and demanded their money. The robbers fled on foot up St. Philip toward N. Rampart Street.

All of the thieves were described as 5'8" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with medium builds, wearing dark clothing; one had long dreadlocks.

• Sunday (3.7.10) 11:30 p.m.: A white woman walking in the 1200 block of Chartres Street (between Gov. Nicholls and Barracks streets) had her purse stolen by a black dude who swooped down on a silver-colored bicycle and then fled up Chartres toward Canal Street.

He is described as in his early 20's, with short hair, wearing dark clothing.

• Tuesday (3.9.10) 7:10 p.m.: A white woman walking in the 300 block of S. Rampart Street (by Union Street) was robbed of her purse by a black guy riding a small bicycle.

He is described as having a thin build and wearing a baggy navy blue shirt.

Just so crazy it might work: A NOcrimeline reader, who bills himself as "Postal Pete", has what he thinks is a solution to the rash of recent iPhone robberies:

"Have a munitions expert pack C-4 explosives into iPhone and other cellphone bodies. Organize a group of (decoy) 'victims' to canvass the Quarter while 'speaking' on the phones. Once the phones are snagged (by thieves), detonate (them) by (a) remote device."

Hmmm...tempting, isn't it

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

Thom Kahler

Bringing in the thieves

The 8th District boys in blue should be doing some rejoicing after rounding up a couple of bad asses that have distressed the French Quarter over the past couple of months:

Right under their noses: After one of many cellphone thefts that have plagued the Quarter in recent months, detectives might not have figured they had much hope finding the thieve who stole a guy's phone 1.16.10 in the 600 block of Royal Street.

But last Wednesday (3.3.10) sitting right there in OPP--where he'd been since he was jailed for an armed robbery 3 days after boosting the phone--detectives found Anthony Johnson, 23, and charged him with simple robbery.

Yet that was minor compared to all the charges being levied against him by detectives who matched him to other crimes. To date, he is charged with 4 armed robberies, the simple robbery, and 2 counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.

His rap sheet shows no less than 32 offenses he's been charged with, dating back to 2003 when he was 17 years old. Charges like armed robbery, burglary, resisting an officer, criminal trespass.

He's being held on $881,000 bond now. Maybe this is the time he gets put away for good.

Don't mess with my Mardi Gras: It took some sleuthing, but detectives caught up with Jermom Miller, 19, on Friday (3.5.10) for trying to steal a car from a woman in the Quarter on Mardi Gras night as festivities were winding down.

The woman was sitting in her car in the 300 block of Burgundy Street when an armed black dude came up and demanded the keys to her vehicle and for her to get out of it. A guy walking by who saw what was happening, chased the would-be robber on foot but couldn't catch him.

The victim picked Miller out of a photo line-up. Miller must have had some other misdeeds up his sleeves, because he's charged with a total of 4 armed robberies. He's being held in OPP on $400,000 bond.

Miller has an arrest record going back to when he was 17 in 2007. Among the charges was carjacking, though the DA decided not to prosecute it.

Not too bright: A thug swiped a woman's purse around 12:19 a.m. last Tuesday (3.2.10) as she was walking in the 700 block of St. Philip Street (between Royal and Bourbon streets, near Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop).

It didn't take long for cops to apprehend William Mozingo, 30, and charge him with pursesnatching and simple battery for the rough way in which he must have grabbed the victim and her purse.

He is in OPP on $17,500 bond.

Still on the loose: An Oriental couple were held up last Monday (3.1.10) around 1:25 a.m. in the 1100 block of Convention Center Boulevard, near Gaiennie Street by a black dude who acted like he had a gun.

They gave him their money and he escaped in a waiting car, which was described as a beige, older model 4-door midsized sedan. The robber was described as 18 to 20 years old, 5'7" tall, weighing 160 pounds, wearing a light-colored hoodie and light jeans.

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

Thom Kahler

Phone it in

Your money's no good: Considering most people carry very little cash these days and ATM cards are easy to trace, what robbers want now is your cellphone--specifically your iPhone. With iPhones going for $199 and up, a stolen iPhone is a hot commodity on the street for a fraction of that. Why? Because it's so darn easy to pop in your own SIM card and the phone becomes yours and is untraceable.

Probably a good number of the pursesnatchings are targeting phones too, but note below all the thefts of cellphones from users who were distracted while texting or yakking:

• Wednesday (2.17.10) 10:47 p.m.: A white woman walking in the 900 block of Toulouse Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets) was robbed of her purse by a black guy riding by on his bicycle.

The robber, described only as dressed in all black clothing, peddled the wrong way up Burgundy toward Canal Street.

• Saturday (2.20.10) 11:10 p.m.: A white woman walking in the 700 block of Conti Street, next to the Royal Sonesta hotel, had her iPhone snatched from her hand by a black guy as she was busy texting.
  

She described him as 20 to 25 years old, 6'2" to 6'4" tall, with a thin build and very short hair, wearing red short-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.

• Saturday (2.20.10) 11:30 p.m.: A white woman and a friend were standing at the top of the staircase at Artillery Park, across from Jackson Square, when a black thug grabbed her purse and almost dragged her down the steps as she fought for her purse.
  

She could only describe him as wearing a brown jacket.

• Sunday (2.21.10) 1:52 a.m.: A gang of black thugs surrounded a white woman walking near Dauphine and St. Louis streets and when one grabbed her purse and she fought to get it back, another struck her and the hoodlums fled on foot.

She described them as 18 to 20 years old, all wearing black clothing.

• Wednesday (2.24.10) 4:35 p.m.: A white woman walking in the 1700 block of Pauger St. (between N. Rampart Street and St. Claude Avenue) got into a fight with a black chick. Who knows what that was about, but the black chick ran off with the white chick's wallet.

Bet there's more to it than that. The victim first reported it to 5th District cops, as if it happened the other side of St. Claude. Then she told them she didn't know exactly what time it happened, and that she could not give a detailed description of the black girl.

• Thursday (2.25.10) 5:49 p.m.: Another woman busy yakking on her cellphone had it grabbed by a black guy in the Riverwalk Mall. He fled near Spanish Plaza.

She described him as 5'10" tall, with a thin build, wearing a black hoodie and dark pants.

• Thursday (2.25.10) 9:50 p.m.: The bicycle bandit struck again. This time he grabbed the purse of a white woman walking in the 600 block of Barracks Street (between Chartres and Royal streets).

The victim was unable to give a detailed description of the robber.

• Thursday (2.25.10) 11:12 p.m.: Cops arrested 2 black boys after they allegedly robbed 2 white couples walking near Burgundy and St. Philip streets. Each robber pulled a pistol and demanded the quartet's money. The victims complied and the thugs fled on foot.

One of the robbers is a juvenile, a16-year-old black boy, who's name can't be used. But booked into Central Lockup was Kantrell Thompson, 18, who was charged with 4 counts of armed robbery with a firearm. He is being held on a $300,000 bond.

• Saturday (2.27.10) 11:33 p.m.: Another cellphone addict, a white woman, walking in the 700 block of St. Peter Street (between Royal and Bourbon streets) was relieved off her cursed device by a black guy.

She was not able to give a detailed description of the robber.

• Sunday (2.28.10) 1:16 a.m.: A white man--they're not all women who aren't paying attention--had his cellphone stolen by a black guy who grabbed it from his hand as he walked in the 800 block of Conti Street near Dauphine Street.

He described the robber as in his 20's, 6'2" tall, with a thin build and shoulder-length dreadlocks, wearing a gray hoodie and dark pants.

• Sunday (2.28.10) 1:57 a.m.: A trio of 2 white women and white man were walking in the 1000 block of Ursulines Avenue when they were accosted by 2 black dudes, one of whom pulled a pistol and demanded their money.
  

The robbers were described as young black boys, one 15 to 16 years old, 5'5" tall, weighing 125 pounds, with a medium complexion, wearing baggy blue jeans, the other 17 to 19 years old, 6' tall, weighing 160 pounds, with a medium complexion, wearing a dark T-shirt and blue jeans.

• Sunday (2.28.10) 2:42 a.m.: A Hispanic woman walking near Bourbon and Iberville streets had her cellphone stolen by a black man who grabbed it from her hand.

He was described as thin, wearing a dark hoodie and dark pants.

• Sunday (2.28.10) 8:32 p.m.: A white woman walking near Dumaine and Royal streets had her purse snatched by a black thug.

The victim was unable to give a detailed description of the incident.

Not all robberies--fights too: Good ole Hispanics. Nothing like a knife to cut up someone to make your point in an argument.

Seems Jenry Salinas, 39, got into a dispute with a white buddy last Tuesday (2.23.10) around 6:35 p.m. in the 900 block of St. Ann Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets). Police say he took out a knife and carved some on his friend.

They hauled him away and charged him with aggravated battery, simple battery, and aggravated assault. He got out of OPP today (3.2.10) after posting $20,000 bond.

Don't be surprised: Big Chief Warren Riley may fall to the feds in this probe of what went on at the Danziger Bridge in the wake of Katrina.

Remember this is no longer about what happened on the bridge (we may never know for sure)--it's about the cover-up which we know for sure happened after the lieutenant who led it pled guilty last week.

At the time of the incident, Riley was chief of operations, responsible for the day-to-day operation of the NOPD and all the district commanders. He was directly responsible when something of this nature occurred--and yet admits he never read Lt. Michael Lohman's report that's now the substance of the cover-up.

But the link is there. Riley was in the chain of command and named police chief just 3 weeks after the bridge bruhaha. His own report he commissioned and published in 2007 in no way jibes with Lohman's confession of the cover-up. By failing to include Lohman's current tale, he compounded the lie and showed his own "thorough" report to be a sham.

Riley also would have been the one to hand Lohman's bogus report to the powers that be--the U.S. government--the ones who indict you if you lie to them.

Riley's due to leave office exactly 2 months from tomorrow (3.3.10). Whether the feds' axe will fall before then is unknown.

Unknown, too, is when we'll get Riley's promised "thorough" report of what happened to millions of dollars that disappeared from the NOPD's evidence room after Katrina. He's dragging his feet on that too--and we may never know until the feds probe that too.

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

Thom Kahler