They'rrrrre back!

Robbers redux: Just when you think it's safe to go out again because you've heard of few robberies and only a little mayhem, the bad guys come back out with a vengeance. One weekend over 500,000 people crowd into the neighborhood for the French Quarter Festival and crime is as tame as anyone can remember. One weekend later after the throngs leave, the crooks return.

Who knows what that's about--but here's what happened:

• Monday (4.11.10) 11:19 p.m.: A 27-year-old white man walking in the 900 block of St. Peter Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets) was accosted by a black dude who grabbed his camera from his hand and fled on foot, turning on Burgundy toward Canal Street.

The robber was described as 6' tall, with a slim build and short hair, wearing a white tank top.

• Wednesday (4.13.10) 12:14 a.m.: A 31-year-old white guy working in Deja Vu Showgirls, 226 Bourbon St., was confronted by a white male customer who pulled a gun on him. The victim and other employees struggled with the suspect.

When police arrived, they arrested Aaron Chambers, 24, and charged him with aggravated assault and illegally carrying a weapon. He managed to post his $17,500 bond and vamoose before his picture showed up in the booking report.

• Thursday (4.14.10) 8:45 p.m.: A 59-year-old white man was walking in the 900 block of Canal Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets) when a white bum asked him for money. He refused and the bum struck him, knocking him to the ground. The suspect took money from the victim's pocket and ran off.

Video surveillance cameras caught the caper on tape and 3 days later, 8th District detectives arrested Anthony J. Montecino Jr. (on right when he was booked 4.17.11), 32, and charged him with simple robbery. He is being held on $15,000 bond and several outstanding warrants from other parishes.

Montecino is believed to be the same Anthony Montecino (on left) who was arrested in April of last year as an accessory after the fact to 2nd-degree murder of a LaPlace waitress in 2008. He was being held in St. John The Baptist Parish on $210,000 bond. How he got out is unknown but there is some evidence he comes from a fairly well-to-do family there.

• Friday (4.15.10) 1:43 a.m.: Two black ladies, one 28, the other 29, were getting into their car in the 200 block of Julia Street in the CBD when a black dude pulled a pistol on them and demanded their purses. He fled on foot toward the river.

He is described as 5'10", with short hair, wearing a black T-shirt and dark-colored jeans.

• Friday (4.15.10) 2:30 a.m.: Less than an hour later, a robber fitting the same description of the one in the CBD struck in the French Quarter at Dauphine and St. Ann streets. There a 28-year-old white man had what he believed was a gun stuck in his back by a black thug who demanded the victim's wallet and iPhone.

• Friday (4.15.10) 6:13 a.m.: An athletic 20-year-old white fella walking in the 100 block of Bourbon Street, just off Canal Street, had his wallet grabbed out of his hand by a black hoodlum. The victim pursued the thief into the 900 block of Bienville Street, about 3 blocks away.

That's where cops arrested Michael Stewart, 37, and charged him with simple robbery. He is being held on $10,000 bond.

• Saturday (4.16.10) 2:40 a.m.: A 30-year-old white woman had her purse snatched at Royal and St. Peter streets by a black punk who fled on foot down Royal toward Esplanade Avenue.

He is described as 20 to 30 years old, 5'7" tall, with a medium build, wearing a red shirt and blue jeans.

• Saturday (4.16.10) 3:44 a.m.: About an hour later, a 22-year-old white woman had her purse snatched by a black guy on Bourbon Street between Conti and St. Louis streets.

Police arrested Tyrone Robertson, 25, and charged him with simple robbery and illegal possession of stolen things valued at $300 to $500. He is being held on $11,500 bond plus numerous warrants from other jurisdictions.

• Saturday (4.16.10) 5:26 a.m.: A 42-year-old black dude was standing next to his car which was idling in the 400 block of Royal Street between Conti and St. Louis streets when 2 black chicks came up. An argument began and one of the ladies pulled a knife and cut the man twice in his lower abdomen. She and her female friend hopped in the victim's vehicle and fled on Conti--right past the 8th District headquarters--toward the river. No word on why they're not being sought for auto theft.

The female assailant is described as 5'11" tall, with a thin build, a light complexion, and dreadlocks.

• Sunday (4.17.10) 10:15 p.m.: A 32-year-old white man riding his bicycle in the 1800 block of N. Rampart Street (between Pauger and St. Anthony streets in the Marigny Triangle) was held up at gunpoint by a black thug who demanded his backpack. The victim complied and the robber ordered him to flee on foot.

The robber is described as 6' tall, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.

• Tuesday (4.19.10) 5:30 a.m.: A 33-year-old white man exiting The Alibi bar, 811 Iberville St., was jumped from behind by a black guy who knocked him to the ground and stole his wallet from his pocket. The victim was unable to give a detailed description of the robber.
  

Hot wheels: The French Quarter has always been a hot bed for car thieves and burglaries, but lately the pace of those crimes seems to have slowed. Then last week, auto thefts and car break-ins soared:

• No less than 11 cars stolen, most in the French Quarter, 2 on one night from Esplanade Avenue and Royal Street;

• 13 cars broken into, most in the CBD.

Check the crime map and the list below for details. (Remember that the times listed are pegged midway between when a vehicle was parked and when the crime was discovered.)

* * *

Crimes last week in the 8th District

(Click on the crime map to enlarge it)

Sunday (4.10.11)

Auto Burglary, 800 Decatur, 4:03 a.m.
Theft, 400 Bourbon, 9:35 a.m.
Shoplifting, 333 Chartres, 9:46 a.m.
Theft, 221 Carondelet, 10:11 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 420 N Rampart, 10:26 a.m.
Auto Theft, Carondelet & Girod, 3:23 p.m.
Shoplifting, 301 Canal, 5:11 p.m.
Pursesnatching, 401 Bourbon, 11:38 p.m.

Monday (4.11.11)

Auto Burglary, 701 Convention Center, 6:46 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 519 Dauphine, 7:10 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 701 Convention Center, 8:19 a.m.
Auto Theft, 800 Ursulines, 11:19 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 835 Julia, 11:54 a.m.
Auto Theft, 1001 S Peters, 12:05 p.m.
Simple Burglary, 204 S Saratoga, 4:37 p.m.
Simple Robbery, 900 St Peter, 11:19 p.m.

Tuesday (4.12.11)

Theft, 225 Poydras, 12:51 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 812 Frenchmen, 9:31 a.m.

Wednesday (4.13.11)

Aggravated Assault, 226 Bourbon, 12:14 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 518 Dauphine, 5:39 a.m.
Residence Burglary, 1000 block of St Anthony, 10:55 a.m.
Theft, 622 Canal, 12:36 p.m.
Auto Theft, Esplanade & Royal, 12:58 p.m.
Theft, 717 Canal, 3:17 p.m.
Auto Theft, Esplanade & Royal, 3:44 p.m.

Thursday (4.14.11)

Auto Theft, S Peters & Commerce, 12:06 p.m.
Theft, 555 Canal, 1:01 p.m.
Theft, 700 Tchoupitoulas, 2:52 p.m.
Theft, 732 Toulouse, 3:31 p.m.
Shoplifting, 600 Decatur, 4:11 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 606 Frenchmen, 7:26 p.m.
Simple Robbery, 900 Canal, 8:45 p.m.

Friday (4.15.11)

Auto Burglary, Burgundy & Iberville, 12:34 a.m.
Auto Theft, Canal & University, 12:45 a.m.
Armed Robbery, 200 Julia, 1:43 a.m.
Theft, 800 Fulton, 4:32 a.m.
Simple Robbery, 100 Bourbon, 6:13 a.m.
Armed Robbery, Dauphine & St Ann, 8:52 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 500 Dumaine, 9:45 a.m.
Auto Theft, 501 Tchoupitoulas, 11:01 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, Esplanade & Frenchmen, 1:42 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 228 Poydras, 3:07 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 8 Canal, 3:53 p.m.
Theft, 301 Dauphine, 4:39 p.m.

Saturday (4.16.11)

Auto Theft, 100 Burgundy, 2:36 a.m.
Pursesnatching, Royal & St Peter, 2:40 a.m.
Business Burglary, 1025 Bienville, 2:48 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 600 Decatur, 3:02 a.m.
Simple Robbery, 400 Bourbon, 3:44 a.m.
Theft, 1501 Girod, 4:39 a.m.
Aggravated Battery, 400 Royal, 5:26 a.m.
Theft, 200 Carondelet, 6:31 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, Decatur & Wilkinson, 1:20 p.m.
Auto Theft, 300 Bourbon, 1:40 p.m.
Shoplifting, 301 Canal, 4:34 p.m.
Auto Theft, 1000 Canal, 7:39 p.m.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

"Leaving New Orleans"?

Stanley and Stella for real: Nicolas Cage just doesn't seem to know how to behave in New Orleans. Where'd he learn to behave like that? Las Vegas? He's got to go--he's become too high-maintenance for the NOPD to handle.

First, he causes a ruckus at a restaurant in the French Quarter just before Mardi Gras. Then Friday night (4.15.11) he gets liquored up and around 11:30 p.m. pulls a real Stella-and-Stanley, trying to find the apartment he's renting on Dumaine Street. He thinks he's found it in the 600 block (between Royal and Chartres streets); but no, his wife Alice Kim says, that's not the place.

So acting like a real guido, he grabs his Oriental wife by the arm and pulls her none-too-gently up to the abode. Enraged, Cage began banging on cars and gets into a cab. By this time, a crowd of onlookers--(his recent movies should draw as well)--has gathered and flagged down a cop.

The officer ordered Cage out of the taxi and Cage confronted him, daring the cop to arrest him. So the officer did.

Cage, 47, was booked into Central Lock-Up around 6:30 a.m. Saturday (4.16.11), charged with domestic abuse battery and disturbing the peace. Cage is left to stew--and possibly sober up--for a few hours until none other than Duane "Dog, The Bounty Hunter" Chapman (left) shows up to go his $11,000 bail. (You can bet Cage is not going to miss his court date 5.31.11, considering that a guy who still wears his 1970's bling down to his navel fronted for him.)

Cage, who's a better actor than real estate guru, once owned the LaLaurie Mansion at Royal and Gov. Nicholls streets, catty-corner from Verti-Marte, until the bank foreclosed on it.

Cage's earlier dust-up in the Quarter was 3.4.11 at Stella! on Chartres Street. According to an eyewitness, it was a doozy.

Apparently Cage had an "altercation" at the restaurant earlier in the evening with his wife, Alice, and their 5-year-old son, Kal-El, and mother and child stormed out. But Cage stayed and played on.

At the bar, he chatted up a couple and then demanded their phone number so he could stay in touch with his new best friends. He ordered up drinks, specifically he wanted fine wine. When a waiter approached with what most would consider a more-than-decent offering--an '82 Mouton Rothschild for $3,500 and a '59 Chateau Latour for $6,000--Cage waved him away, shouting, "Give me something more rrrreal!"

He continued terrorizing the dining room like "a drugged Sasquatch," as the observer put it, and scoping out the women. He noted 2 and went up to their table, and pointing at the brunette said, "You're a contender!" and then turning to the blonde said, "And you're not!"

Management had finally had enough and escorted Cage out the door. He resisted and try to re-enter, but in reaching for the room, plunged his hand through one of the glass panels in the door. Police were called and Cage was carted away but no charges were filed.

So who's guilty of liquoring Cage up this time? Who's providing him with an illegal short-term rental in the Quarter? Will the new movie he's working on in New Orleans be any better than the crap he's been producing the last few years?

Only 3 years for killing a cop: No doubt Gino Ray only intended to have a few drinks and a good time, then head home.

But on 1.9.10 around 4:30 a.m. he plowed his 2009 Dodge Ram pickup through the intersection of St. Charles Avenue and St. Joseph Street in the CBD, not far from Lee Circle, and smashed into an 8th District patrol car driven by rookie Ofc. Cordae Hankton with Ofc. Alfred Celestain Sr. in the passenger seat as the rookie's training officer.

Both were taken to LSU Interim Public Hospital; Hankton had minor injuries, but Celestain, 54 and a 20-year-veteran of the NOPD, had fractured ribs and a hip, facial cuts, and was in a coma from a brain injury. His family pulled the plug on him 2 days later.

Ray, 25, once a player for New Orleans' professional soccer team, was charged with vehicular homicide and vehicle negligent injuring. Ray pled guilty to both charges.

This past Monday (4.11.11), Judge Terry Alarcon sentenced Ray to 10 years in prison, but suspended all but 3 years of it.

Because Ray's blood alcohol level was less than .15 (he blew .13)--less than twice the legal limit of .08--he escaped with 3 years, rather than the 5 to 30 years mandated by Louisiana law.

* * *
Crimes last week in the 8th District
(Click on the Crime Map to enlarge it)

Sunday (4.3.11)

Theft, 800 Bourbon, 7:06 a.m.
Theft, 400 Bourbon, 12:35 p.m.
Shoplifting, 232 Bourbon, 3:17 p.m.
Simple Burglary, 800 Julia, 3:52 p.m.
Auto Theft, Burgundy & Conti, 11:38 p.m.

Monday (4.4.11)

Auto Burglary, Girod & La Salle, 11:40 a.m.
Aggravated Battery, 711 Canal, 10:07 p.m.

Tuesday (4.5.11)

Auto Theft, 402 N Rampart, 12:40 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 100 Conti, 2:46 p.m.
Theft, 1000 Bienville, 4:50 p.m.
Rape, 1000 block of Dumaine, 5:16 p.m.
Theft, 859 Convention Center, 9:19 p.m.

Wednesday (4.6.11)

Theft, 227 Bourbon, 1:03 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 1001 Dauphine, 10:35 a.m.
Theft, 500 St Ann, 3:08 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 365 Canal, 5:26 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, Convention Center & Poydras, 6:47 p.m.
Theft, 334 O'Keefe, 9:56 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1000 Conti, 11:32 p.m.

Thursday (4.7.11)

Auto Burglary, 700 Toulouse, 12:57 a.m.
Auto Theft, Baronne & St Joseph, 1:50 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, Carondelet & Lafayette, 9:12 a.m.
Business Burglary, 1041 Constance, 9:20 a.m.
Theft, 221 Carondelet, 9:48 a.m.
Shoplifting, 601 Canal, 12:50 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 825 Lafayette, 5:00 p.m.

Friday (4.8.11)

Aggravated Burglary, 1100 Decatur, 8:52 a.m.
Auto Theft, Chartres & Toulouse, 1:13 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 900 St Philip, 1:41 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, Common & St Charles, 4:29 p.m.
Theft, 81 French Market, 7:44 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 801 St Charles, 8:49 p.m.

Saturday (4.9.11)

Pickpocketing, 800 Bourbon, 3:19 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, Bourbon & St Ann, 3:28 a.m.
Aggravated Assault, 141 Chartres, 10:11 a.m.
Auto Theft, Kerlerec & Royal, 11:38 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 334 Royal, 2:00 p.m.
Theft, 727 S Peters, 2:22 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, Dauphine & Elysian Fields, 6:45 p.m.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Just plain mean

A new trend?: Have you noticed lately that the crime--what little there is of it in the 8th District--has more to do with assault and battery, instead of robbery? And much of it is taking place in businesses other than bars, and not on the street? And the perps are older guys?

Here are some of the latest episodes:

• Saturday (4.9.11) 10:30 a.m.: Stop me if you heard this one before: A guy walks into a bar (Jimani Lounge, 141 Chartres St.) and asks for a beer. The bartender sets the beer on the bar and asks for his money. The patron refuses. He's asked to leave. Then it turns violent: The patron then threatens to kill the bartender and tries to pull his pistol out. Other patrons jump the guy and take his gun away. Then the guy pulls out a knife and points it at the bartender.

When the police arrive, they arrest Michael L. McClendon, 62, and charge him with aggravated assault, criminal trespass, and possession of cocaine. He's in OPP on $17,500 bond. The story ends after he does a little time in the slammer.

• Friday (4.8.11) 8:45 a.m.: Talk about a lack of customer satisfaction. 2 white guys, 30 and 32, go into the Red Lantern, 1133 Decatur St., a women's clothing store, and get into an argument with the owner. Must have been some argument, because an employee intervened with a combat knife. He allegedly stabbed one man in his left side and then stabbed the other in his back and hand. Both victims were taken to Interim LSU Public Hospital for treatment.

The police arrested the employee, Sylvester Westbrook, 56, and charged him with one count of aggravated battery. He is being held in OPP on $75,000 bond.

• Monday (4.4.11) 10 p.m.: A 53-year-old black bum went into McDonald's, 711 Canal St., and pilfered money from the cashier's tip canister. When a 52-year-old black gentleman confronted him about the theft and pursued him outside, where an argument broke out. The bum pulled a knife and allegedly stabbed his pursuer several times before fleeing on foot. The victim was taken to Interim LSU Public Hospital where he was in stable condition.

Police apprehended Leonard Brown, 53, and charged him with aggravated battery and theft under $300. He is in OPP on $30,000 bond.

One robbery, though: A 14-year-old black boy--who had no business being in the French Quarter at that hour--snatched the purse from a 23-year-old white woman who was in the Gateway Lounge, 401 Bourbon St., around 11:30 p.m. Sunday (4.10.11). He fled on foot but police quickly apprehended him.

It would save a lot of grief if the cops were more vigilant and got these little creeps off the street on curfew violations before they got into mayhem--and then go after their mamas for child neglect.

Dog and pony show: Well, a mule, actually. You know how impatient you can get if you're stuck in traffic behind a mule carriage in the French Quarter for block after block? This driver apparently totally lost it last Sunday (4.3.11) morning.

Here's the story we heard:

A carriage with 5 passengers was at Esplanade Avenue and Royal Street when a driver came up behind it in his car and began honking and screaming for the driver to "Get the hell off the street--I'm late for work!"

The carriage driver had no where to pull over, so after 2 blocks of this, the motorist opens his car window and his pitbull jumps out and attacks the mule named "Dixie". Before the dog's owner catches up with his dog, the pitbull tries to jump into the carriage and attack a 5-year-old girl. An off-duty police officer who saw the incident and jumped out of his car, drew his weapon and arrested the guy.

The police version is slightly different: Several witnesses got the dog owner's car license plate number and police located the owner. The LASPCA went to the residence and impounded the pitbull and issued a summons to the owner for allowing the dog to roam and no rabies vaccination.

The dog's owner wasn't named, but apparently the mule wasn't the only jackass in the story. The dog was released to its owner and the judge will decide if the dog is dangerous and should be put down. Perhaps he'll make a similar determination about the owner--sounds like he's the dangerous one.

Dumb ass: He was smart enough to get a gun and dumb enough to shoot it, killing a beloved French Quarter bartender over 2 years ago. But Judge Ben Willard ruled last Thursday (4.7.11) that Reggie Douglas (above) is incompetent to stand trial because he only has an IQ of 56, meaning he's retarded.

Douglas and another black boy--Drey Lewis (below in a snotty pose)--were only 15 when they allegedly gunned down Wendy Byrne, 39, on the night of 1.17.09 at Gov. Nicholls and Dauphine streets.

Judge Willard sent Douglas, who just turned 18, to the Feliciana Funny Farm "to undergo any and all evaluations to determine the proper course of treatment."

* * *
Crimes last week in the 8th District
(Click on the Crime Map to enlarge it)

Sunday (3.27.11)

Auto Theft, 801 Poydras, 10:38 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 1000 Iberville, 11:13 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 300 Bourbon, 12:33 p.m.
Pickpocketing, 640 Bourbon, 2:48 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 700 Decatur, 3:22 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 700 Decatur, 4:12 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 600 Frenchmen, 7:04 p.m.

Monday (3.28.11)

Theft, 225 Bourbon, 12:22 a.m.
Theft, 417 Royal, 12:08 p.m.
Theft, 521 Tchoupitoulas, 12:10 p.m.
Simple Burglary, 800 block of Julia, 2:26 p.m.
Theft, 339 Bourbon, 11:05 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 800 Gov Nicholls, 11:51 p.m.

Tuesday (3.29.11)

Auto Burglary, 1000 Conti, 4:19 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 1014 Dumaine, 3:03 p.m.
Shooting, 900 block of Dumaine, 4:20 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 420 N Rampart, 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday (3.30.11)

Business Burglary, 100 Tchoupitoulas, 3:37 a.m.
Theft, 1415 Tulane, 6:37 a.m.
Theft, 621 St Louis, 7:04 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 1100 Annunciation, 7:40 a.m.
Auto Theft, 500 Tchoupitoulas, 8:20 a.m.
Simple Robbery, 700 St Peter, 8:32 a.m.
Auto Theft, Howard & S Rampart, 8:58 a.m.
Auto Theft, 601 Poydras, 12:06 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 500 O'Keefe, 12:49 p.m.
Shoplifting, 405 Bourbon, 4:10 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, Lafayette & St Charles, 7:46 p.m.
Simple Robbery, Bourbon & St Louis, 10:32 p.m.
Pickpocketing, 418 Bourbon, 11:43 p.m.

Thursday (3.31.11)

Shoplifting, 917 Decatur, 9:01 a.m.
Theft, 2 Poydras, 9:26 a.m.
Theft, 300 Canal, 10:20 a.m.
Theft, 107 Chartres, 11:31 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 1029 Bienville, 1:34 p.m.
Auto Theft, Poeyfarre & Tchoupitoulas, 4:57 p.m.
Theft, 522 Bourbon, 8:49 p.m.

Friday (4.1.11)

Theft, 312 St Charles, 8:11 a.m.
Theft, 221 Carondelet, 8:16 a.m.
Theft, 406 magazine, 8:37 a.m.
Auto Theft, Annunciation & Poeyfarre, 10:11 a.m.
Auto Theft, Dumaine & Royal, 1:13 p.m.
Theft, 831 Chartres, 2:07 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 8 Canal, 4:51 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 145 University, 5:52 p.m.
Auto Theft, 600 block of St Peter, 10:53 p.m.

Saturday (4.2.11)

Auto Burglary, Burgundy & Conti, 9:31 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 1201 Convention Center, 9:56 a.m.
Theft, 419 Bourbon, 3:39 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Decatur & St Peter, 3:39 p.m.
Auto Theft, 200 N Rampart, 10:38 p.m.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

White boys gang up

Equal opportunity bad guys: Black dudes make up the bulk of the suspects in crimes in the 8th District and usually command a lot of space here. Last week it was the Hispanics turn to take the spotlight (and hey, don't blame me because ICE cracked down on them!) This week 3 white guys jump into the fray.

Late Wednesday night (3.30.11) around 11:32 p.m., a 39-year-old white man walking near St. Louis and Bourbon streets asked a pack of 3 white fellas if any of them had a cigarette. Instead of indulging his unhealthy habit, the 3 began beating him and took his back pack.

The 3 fled on foot but 8th District cops caught up with all of them and had them in Central Lock 4 hours later. Charged with simple robbery and simple battery were Ronald Ansardi (top), 31, Joseph Stover (middle), 31, and Kody King (bottom), 22. Each is being held on $25,000 bond.

It's not known if any of the 3 are linked to another robbery earlier that morning around 8:15 a.m. 2 blocks away at St. Peter and Bourbon streets.

A 50-year-old white man walking on St. Peter was accosted by 3 white guys who grabbed him and held him against the wall while demanding money. He complied and the 3 perps fled on foot down St. Peter, turning on Bourbon toward Canal Street.

The victim described one of his attackers as 5'8" tall, weighing 130 pounds, with a goatee and wearing a black shirt with writing on it. Joseph Stover, arrested Wednesday night for a robbery 2 blocks away, has a faint goatee.

A second perp was described as 5'10" tall with a thin build; the third perp was merely described as a white male.

Caught on tape: A homeowners video camera caught on tape 2 suspects in the armed robbery of a 53-year-old white woman Monday (3.28.11) around 11:45 p.m. on Gov. Nicholls Street near Dauphine--where a bartender was brutally murdered 2 years ago.

The tape shows 2 black dudes lurking on the corner before the victim approaches. They followed her and demanded her purse. When she wouldn't give it up, one of the dudes pulled a pistol and demanded it, finally forcing it from her shoulder.

The one perp was described as 25 years old, 5'2" to 5'4" tall, with a medium build, wearing a light-colored shirt and black jacket.

A couple of problems with the tape: The tape is about 15 or so minutes fast--though the episode happened around 11:45 p.m. 3.28.11, the tape's time stamp shows it as a few minutes past midnight on 3.29.11. And though the victim described one of the robbers, according to the police report, as wearing a black jacket, neither perp seemed to be wearing a jacket. The report did not mention his red baseball cap or dreadlocks.

The lesson to be learned: If you see creeps like these hanging around on your street, call 911. Let them sort out the good from the bad and ugly.

Something peculiar here: So here's this 26-year-old white dude on the can in his bathroom and someone fires a bullet into his chest--and he tells the cops no one was in the apartment with him and that he has no idea who shot him.

The shooting happened around 4:26 p.m. last Tuesday (3.29.11) in a tiny 3rd-story condo at 929 Dumaine St. Although the victim, who is in stable condition in the hospital, said no one was in the apartment, Cmdr. Edwin Hosli of the 8th District told the Times-Picayune that a handgun and a spent shell casing were found in the bathroom.

Ballistic and forensic evidence has been sent to the NOPD's crime lab and results are pending. The victim has still not given a description of his assailant.

Second killer guilty: After nearly 6 years, a second thug who killed a French Quarter waitress on her way home from her job at Crescent City Brewhouse has been convicted of murder.

Darnell Gilmoree (right), 24--who was only 18 when he shot Alyssa Kovash (left), 20, in the head near her Uptown home 4.29.05 during a robbery--was found guilty of second-degree murder by a jury last Wednesday (3.30.11).

This was the second trial for Gilmoree after a mistrial last year when a jury couldn't come to a verdict on charges he was the shooter in this case.

Marcus Pleasant, 23, the driver of the getaway car that Gilmoree and Ahmad Hill allegedly got out of to rob Kovash and a friend, was sentenced 3.25.11 to life in prison without parole after being convicted by a jury in February of first-degree murder.

Hill, 23, was found not guilty by Judge Darryl Derbigny after a non-jury trial in 2009.

Gilmoree is due to be sentenced this Friday (4.8.11) to a mandatory life sentence without parole.

In good company: It's interesting to note that 5 of the 16 new NOPD commanders Chief Ronal Serpas appointed last week are current or recent alumni of the 8th District:

• Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District since the Spring of 2007, now carries the rank of commander;
• Capt. Darryl Albert, once the public integrity officer of the 8th when he was a lieutenant, is now commander of the 2nd District in Uptown where Hosli was commander before being assigned to the 8th;
• Lt. Eddie Selby, who's been Hosli's sidekick for 9 years and led the 8th's detective bureau, is now commander of Special Operations, including the SWAT team;
• Lt. Paul Noel, who preceded Selby as head of the 8th's detectives and most recently was in command of the NOPD's Sex Crimes Section, is now commander of the department's Criminal Investigations Division;
• Capt. Bernadine Kelly, who was once public integrity officer of the 8th as a lieutenant and was most recently commander of the 5th District, is now commander of the Records and Identification Division.

* * *
Crimes last week in the 8th District
(Click on the Crime Map to enlarge it)

Sunday (3.20.11)

Theft, 301 Canal, 2:07 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 500 Frenchmen, 3:33 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 500 Frenchmen, 4:52 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1000 Conti, 9:55 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 843 Carondelet, 10:23 p.m.

Monday (3.21.11)

Business Burglary, 840 Elysian Fields, 4:27 a.m.
Theft, 1010 Common, 1:23 p.m.
Theft, 400 Burgundy, 2:51 p.m.
Auto Theft, 444 St Charles, 4:43 p.m.
Aggravated Battery, Canal & Elk, 6:40 p.m.
Auto Theft, Burgundy & Esplanade, 11:47 p.m.

Tuesday (3.22.11)

Shoplifting, 134 Royal, 11:21 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 727 Ursulines, 1:49 p.m.
Shoplifting, 500 Port of New Orleans, 2:23 p.m.

Wednesday (3.23.11)

Shoplifting, 900 Canal, 7:25 a.m.
Theft, 727 Bourbon, 10:33 a.m.
Theft, 437 Esplanade, 10:56 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 800 N Rampart, 4:09 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1001 Iberville, 4:19 p.m.

Thursday (3.24.11)

Theft, 817 Iberville, 6:19 a.m.
Auto Theft, Decatur & Iberville, 1:07 p.m.
Theft, 730 St Peter, 11:14 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Iberville & N Rampart, 11:53 p.m.

Friday (3.25.11)

Aggravated Battery, 500 Bourbon, 3:07 a.m.
Shoplifting, 134 Royal, 8:04 a.m.
Auto Theft, 1041 Constance, 9:24 a.m.
Theft, 936 St Charles, 1:50 p.m.
Theft, 344 Camp, 2:16 p.m.
Residence Burglary, 1023 Gov Nicholls, 3:33 p.m.
Theft, 50 French Market , 5:03 p.m.

Saturday (3.26.11)

Auto Burglary, Burgundy & Iberville, 4:15 a.m.
Theft, Bourbon & St Louis, 4:41 a.m.
Theft, 701 Dauphine, 1:33 p.m.
Theft, 501 Bourbon, 1:33 p.m.
Theft, 1113 Bourbon, 3:18 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Barracks & N Peters, 5:16 p.m.
Pickpocketing, 441 Bourbon, 5:22 p.m.
Theft, 1005 Esplanade, 6:14 p.m.
Theft, 817 Common, 9:13 p.m.,

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

The ICEman cometh

Adios amigos: New Orleans wouldn't have recovered as quickly from Katrina as it did without them. Now they are becoming a problem. Bored, unemployed and hundreds of miles from home and family: a perfect prescription for trouble. We're talking about immigrants.

These immigrants--usually involved more in fights than robberies--have been rounded up by NOPD, and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has its eyes on them. They can expect the long, lonely ride back home:

• Friday (3.25.11) 3:07 a.m.: Two black dudes, 23 and 24, got into a fight with a gang of 5 Hispanics in the 500 block of Bourbon Street near St. Louis Street. They got the worse of it when one of the Hispanics began striking them in the head with a beer bottle and were taken to the hospital.

8th District cops managed to grab one of the 5. They charged Gamaliel Rodriguez, 32, with aggravated battery. He is being held in OPP on $25,000.

• Tuesday (3.22.11): Once cops figured out what they think is his real name, they were able to book Apolonio Canseco, 23, with 2nd-degree battery and armed robbery with a firearm (reduced later by a magistrate to simple robbery) for allegedly robbing a roommate on 3.16.11 in the 1000 block of Frenchmen Street. The victim, a 35-year-old Hispanic, told police that several of his roommates had tied him up, pointed pistols at him, and demanded cash.

At first, police thought they were looking for a 22-year-old Mario Cruz, but that turned out to be an alias Canseco used. Canseco is being held on $100,000 bond in OPP.

• Tuesday (3.22.11): When 8th District detectives got Carlos Berroa-Reyes, 20, back from Jefferson Parish where he'd been arrested a week earlier for aggravated burglary, they charged him with aggravated assault for the machete attack on a House of Blues bouncer around 4 a.m. on 2.27.11 after Berroa-Reyes and 2 of his posse were ejected from the club in the 200 block of Decatur Street.

It took 2 days for the court to find a translator to explain to the suspect that his bail was set at $35,000. It took only 2 days more for Berroa-Reyes to come up with mucho dinero and say adios to OPP.

Look for him in a neighborhood near you, unless he bolted for the old country.

Justice at long last: It took nearly 6 years, but last week (3.25.11) the thug who killed a French Quarter waitress on her way home from her job at Crescent City Brewhouse was sentenced to life in prison without parole by Judge Darryl Derbigny.

Marcus Pleasant, 23--who was only 17 when Alyssa Kovash, 20, was shot in the head near her Uptown home 4.29.05--was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury in February. Pleasant was the driver of the getaway car that Darnell Gilmore and Ahmad Hill allegedly got out of to rob Kovash and a friend.

Hill, 23, was found not guilty by Judge Derbigny after a non-jury trial in 2009. Gilmore, 24, goes on trial for a second time on Tuesday (3.29.11) after a mistrial last year when a jury couldn't come to a verdict on charges he was the shooter in this case.

Bonds, David Bonds: After slipping and sliding through the justice system since he was a kid--including beating the rap for the murder of beloved musician and band leader Dinerral Shavers--David Bonds, 21, has been sentenced to 50 years of hard time without parole after being convicted of attempted murder.

The little weasel, who was acquitted in April, 2008 of Shavers' murder when the star witness feigned failing eyesight, was arrested less than 4 weeks later after he fired shots into a 25-year-old white guy in a crowd at Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue in the early morning hours of 5.4.08.

A jury found him guilty last May and Judge Julian Parker sentenced him to the maximum 50 years on 3.11.11.

Detective praised: Cops who go about their jobs professionally and conscientiously rarely gather notice like the bad apples singled out by the recent fed investigation do. But one citizen took the time last week to praise Det. Mike Flores of the 8th District, who's been instrumental in busting a number of cases recently. Says the citizen:

"Kudos to Det. Flores. He is one of the best. I was burglarized by a thug along with 2 of my friends in November and Det. Flores was determined to catch the thugs.

"I broke my hand when I fell running away and one of my friends is still traumatized because she had the gun to her head and he drug her to the ground before taking off with her purse and his accomplice. He not only came to the hospital but came check on us several times and asked us questions to help him. He also pursued the beast on his own time and kept us up to date on what was happening and when the thug was arrested.

"I have the highest praise for him and we were very satisfied with all."

* * *
Crimes last week in the 8th District
(Click on the crime map to enlarge it)

Sunday (3.13.11)

Auto Burglary, Conti & N Rampart, 9:16 a.m.
Auto Burglary, Conti & N Rampart, 11:13 a.m.
Theft, 1415 Tulane, 11:46 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 862 St Charles, 7:08 p.m.
Theft, Canal & S Peters, 7:39 p.m.

Monday (3.14.11)

Auto Burglary, 900 Lafayette, 7:20 a.m.
Theft, 300 Camp, 10:33 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 129 Royal, 10:37 a.m.
Theft, 225 Decatur, 6:34 p.m.
Theft, 516 Natchez, 8:14 p.m.

Tuesday (3.15.11)

Pursesnatching, St Ann & Royal, 2:33 a.m.
Theft, 718 N Rampart, 9:56 a.m.
Auto Theft, 618 Magazine, 6:16 p.m.

Wednesday (3.16.11)

Bicycle Theft, 1400 Burgundy, 12:17 a.m.
Shoplifting, 134 Royal, 9:21 a.m.
Theft, 800 Decatur, 5:39 p.m.
Theft, 830 Union, 6:00 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 1000 block of Frenchmen, 8:47 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 800 block of St Peter, 9:19 p.m.

Thursday (3.17.11)

Auto Theft, Loyola & Perdido, 12:22 a.m.
Theft, 504 Esplanade, 12:58 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 1009 Frenchmen, 1:24 p.m.
Theft, 838 Canal, 5:59 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Decatur & Elysian Fields, 7:35 p.m.

Friday (3.18.11)

Pickpocketing, Dauphine & Iberville, 5:46 a.m.
Theft, 600 Decatur, 8:41 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 1000 Iberville, 11:58 a.m.
Auto Theft, 500 Chartres, 11:17 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 900 Julia, 11:31 p.m.

Saturday (3.19.11)

Theft, 423 Bourbon, 4:03 a.m.
Theft, 222 N Rampart, 10:28 a.m.
Theft, Convention Center & Notre Dame, 10:29 a.m.
Shoplifting , 400 N Peters, 11:27 a.m.
Rape, 1000 block of Dauphine, 11:43 a.m.
Theft, 900 Convention Center, 6:37 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Conti & N Rampart, 7:32 p.m.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Whoa, not so fast

Who you calling "defective"?: It's disturbing to read a headline that blares "NOPD deeply defective" (TP 3.18.11), particularly if you don't read the whole story.

The report on the NOPD's past sins released this week by the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division didn't tell us anything we didn't already know or suspect.

It didn't tell us how far back the feds investigated, but it did give credit to Chief Ronal Serpas--who's been on the job only 10 months--for already making changes before being told to by the feds.

The decreased crime during Mardi Gras this year tells you Serpas is doing something right:

• Major crimes (murder, rape, robbery, assault) were down in the 8th District--the heart of Mardi Gras festivities--by 42% this year: only 14 crimes this year versus 24 last year.

• Overall, crime in the 8th District was down 15%.

• 35 guns were taken off the streets of the French Quarter by 8th District officers and 31 gun arrests made this year versus only 22 guns last year--a 59% increase in the number of guns seized.

That meant the safest Mardi Gras in years. Make a note of that, feds.

Who you say be "discriminating"?: The feds, as you might expect, were appalled at the number of blacks arrested in New Orleans compared to the number of whites.

They noted in the report that in 2009 the NOPD arrested 500 black boys under 17 and only 8 white boys--16 times more blacks than whites. Yeah, that is a lot--you don't think it's because more blacks committed more of the crimes, do you?

You've got to question the fed's investigation methodology: It's easy to tally the number of blacks arrested, buy why not have questioned the victims as to the race of the suspect who victimized them? What do you expect the police to do: "Sorry, ma'm...we've exceeded our quota of blacks this month--you'll have to pick a white boy out of the line-up."

The feds made a similar observation that when the police fired their weapons at suspects between January 2009 and May 2010--27 instances in all--that all 27 of the intended targets were blacks.

Again, you've got to ask: You don't think it was because more blacks were involved in crimes than whites. Or at least the whites where smart enough to stop when the police ordered them to halt?

I can tell you from following crime--mostly in the 8th District--for the past 4 years, that virtually all the victims I've tracked were white and virtually all the criminals were black. If the feds are concerned about civil rights, they ought to look into that discrepancy: Whites being preyed upon.

If it was the other way around--whites targeting blacks--they'd be all over the Quarter like flies on you-know-what.

And talk about discrimination: New Orleans has had a succession of black police chiefs for at least the past 16 years (until Serpas took over in May 2010) and more than 50% of the current officers are black (the last I heard)--so do you mean to tell me it was the brothers who were hauling other brothers in? That's discrimination?

Citizens are happy with the cops: Well, most of them are satisfied, anyway. The latest survey of citizens' satisfaction with the NOPD shows a dramatic turnaround.

In 2009, 60% of the city's residents were dissatisfied with the cops; this year--based on phone interviews in February--it is just the opposite: 60% are totally satisfied with the job the NOPD is doing under Chief Serpas.

The 8th District had the second highest approval rating (only the 3rd District was higher--but what happens in Lakeview of importance?) at 68%. What is particularly significant is that 2 years ago, the approval rating was only 19%--the lowest of any of the NOPD's 8 districts.

I think it would be fair to say that the huge increase in satisfaction is due to the huge reduction in crime.

Hardly any crime, but...: It was a whole week after the curtain came down on Mardi Gras before the bad guys took to the streets again:

• Tuesday (3.15.11) 2:45 a.m.: A 21-year-old white woman standing at the corner of Royal and St. Ann streets had her purse snatched by a black guy who fled on foot.

Police soon had Romonde Henry, 27, in hand. But he must have given the cops a great deal of difficulty: In addition to be booked for pursesnatching, he was also charged with simple battery, public intimidation, and 3 counts of extortion--charges usually leveled if a suspect threatens police officers during an arrest.

He won't see the light of day outside of OPP unless he gets his hands on $115,000 for bond.

• Wednesday (3.16.11) 6:00 p.m.: A 35-year-old Hispanic man fell victim to several of his roommates (all Hispanics too) in his home in the 1000 block of Frenchmen Street. Like a Mexican showdown, they tied him up, pointed their guns at him, and demanded his money. When he told them he didn't have any, they ran away.

Det. Mike Flores is following leads as to the identity of the suspects (generally it's not a good idea to try to rob people who know you).

• Wednesday (3.16.11) 9:15 p.m.: A couple of poor white people, she 48, he 26, were walking in the 800 block of St. Peter Street (between Bourbon and Dauphine streets) when they were accosted by a white dude who pulled a pistol and demanded their money. When they could only scrape up $4 between them and hand it to the robber, the frustrated thief got angry at the trifling amount and fled on foot.

Police soon arrested Matthew Bumpers, 23, and charged him with 2 counts of attempted armed robbery. If he'd taken the $4, he'd need only $199,996 to bail out of OPP.

CrimeStoppers stops machete man: A tip to CrimeStoppers led to the arrest of Carlos Berroa-Reyes for allegedly whacking a bouncer at the House of Blues in the head with a machete.

The bouncer, 30, had ejected Berroa-Reyes, 20, and 2 other Hispanics from the club on Decatur Street late last month. They returned around 4 a.m. and the armed confrontation ensued before the suspects fled in a light-colored Nissan Titan pickup truck.

The CrimeStoppers' tip to 8th District Det. Willie Jenkins indicated Berroa-Reyes was in the Jefferson Parish lockup on a charge of aggravated burglary after being arrested last week and held on a $30,000 bond. Det. Jenkins issued a warrant for Berroa-Reyes on a charge of aggravated battery and is still trying to identify the other suspects involved.

Misunderstood: Some misinterpreted my comments last week about the savagery of 5th District cops against errant Krewe of Eris paraders.

I, in no way, meant to imply the police shouldn't have arrested those whose vandalism marred the parade. But I did mean to condemn the foul-mouthed buffoons in blue who were brandishing firearms, beating, and tasing some of the marchers (of course, they could have given some extra whacks to whoever broke the side mirror off my vehicle and left footprints on the hood). Let's see how many of the 12 they arrested are actually convicted.

If we're going to have the police force we want to protect and serve New Orleans, we've got to expect them to act like professionals at all times.

* * *
Crimes last week in the 8th District
(Click on the crime map to enlarge it)

Sunday (3.6.11)

Pursesnatching, 900 Camp, 12:57 a.m.
Rape, 850 Convention Center, 2:15 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 310 Royal, 12:56 p.m.
Aggravated Battery, Burgundy & Canal, 9:27 p.m.
Theft, Bourbon & St Louis, 9:34 p.m.
Aggravated Battery, Bourbon & St Louis, 10:02 p.m.
Theft, Andrew Higgins & Tchoupitoulas, 11:50 p.m.

Monday (3.7.11)

Pickpocketing, 800 Canal, 12:24 a.m.
Pickpocketing, Bourbon & Canal, 12:36 a.m.
Simple Robbery, 400 Elysian Fields, 1:15 a.m.
Theft, 241 Bourbon, 3:06 a.m.
Car Jacking, 100 Elk, 5:17 a.m.
Auto Theft, Dauphine & St Philip, 8:39 a.m.
Auto Theft, Andrew Higgins & Constance, 2:20 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 930 Gravier, 5:03 p.m.
Auto Theft, Decatur & St Louis, 5:03 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 1400 Tulane, 7:37 p.m.
Pickpocketing, 240 Burgundy, 7:42 p.m.
Theft, Burgundy & Iberville, 8:35 p.m.
Pickpocketing, Bourbon & St Louis, 11:51 p.m.

Tuesday (3.8.11)

Simple Robbery, 1000 Canal, 12:32 a.m.
Pickpocketing, Bourbon & St Louis, 12:36 a.m.
Theft, 541 Bourbon, 5:44 a.m.
Auto Burglary, Girod & S Peters, 9:50 a.m.
Auto Burglary, Commerce &Julia, 4:10 p.m.
Theft, Bourbon & Toulouse, 4:48 p.m.
Attempted Armed Robbery, 500 Esplanade, 7:15 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Camp & Poydras, 9:21 p.m.

Wednesday (3.9.11)

Theft, 300 Bourbon, 12:02 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 100 S Villere, 2:44 a.m.
Aggravated Battery, 700 St Peter, 5:45 a.m.
Rape, 2 Poydras, 7:34 a.m.
Theft, 201 St Charles, 11:29 a.m.
Auto Theft, Andrew Higgins & Constance, 12:06 p.m.
Auto Theft, S Rampart & Union, 1:16 p.m.
Shoplifting, 134 Royal, 2:15 p.m.
Shoplifting, 633 Canal, 2:23 p.m.
Auto Theft, Chartres & Dumaine, 3:47 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 500 Barracks, 4:43 p.m.
Auto Theft, 911 Burgundy, 6:15 p.m.
Auto Theft, 900 St Louis, 6:17 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 330 Loyola, 6:34 p.m.
Auto Theft, Bienville & Burgundy, 7:42 p.m.

Thursday (3.10.11)

Auto Theft, 2113 N Rampart, 5:01 a.m.
Theft, 209 Decatur, 12:47 p.m.
Auto Theft, Baronne & Canal, 12:54 p.m.
Shoplifting, 633 Canal, 3:19 p.m.
Auto Theft, 1400 Tulane, 5:30 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 600 Commerce, 6:47 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Dauphine & Epslanade, 6:50 p.m.

Friday (3.11.11)

Theft, 439 Dauphine, 5:48 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 2110 N Rampart, 6:44 a.m.
Theft, 1541 Tulane, 10:55 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 155 Poydras, 11:47 a.m.

Saturday (3.12.11)

Auto Burglary, 2100 Decatur, 12:02 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 300 Loyola, 12:30 a.m.
Business Burglary, 435 Esplanade, 12:35 p.m.
Theft, 921 Canal, 12:41 p.m.
Theft, 900 Convention Center, 3:28 p.m.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler