MURDER MYSTERIES ...unsolved cold cases in and around the French Quarter

The NOPD's Cold Case Squad--headed by Sgt. Daniel McMullen--reviews cases based on numerous different factors and explores how new technology and resources (i.e. DNA, fingerprint and informational databases, etc.) might impact a renewed investigation. If the inquiry identifies new suspects, or strengthens the case against known subjects, the case is reopened. There are currently about 2,000 cold cases that remain unsolved. If anyone has any information, contact Sgt. McMullen at (504) 658-5318 (office) or (504) 658-5318 (cellphone), or email him at demcmullen@nola.gov.

The cold case file of the NOPD holds records of the murders of at least 5 people with connections to the French Quarter whose killers are still walking the streets of the city:

DR. RALPH EDWARD NEWSOME--Oct. 31, 2009: One can only speculate on the motive in the murder of Dr. Ralph Edward Newsome, 45, inside his 3-story townhouse at 926 Toulouse St. early on Oct. 31, 2009.

His body was discovered after 68 firemen extinguished a 2-alarm fire seen shooting from the second floor around 3 a.m. He had been stabbed multiple times, but had not been burned. Fire fighters found him unconscious and brought him out of the building to EMTs. They took him to LSU Interim Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Investigators speculate the murderer had tried to cover up the crime with arson.

He was assistant dean of medical education and was the chief of plastic surgery at Tulane's School of Medicine. He bought his Toulouse Street residence in 2003 and had extensively renovated it, particularly its gardens.

His murder fits a pattern seen in police reports many times before: A gay man is murdered/beaten/robbed by someone he invited in. It's sad but reflects the dangers of what are often casual encounters by men and women who hook up in bars and clubs. But there is something more powerful and dangerous in the all-male dynamic that often results in tragedy.

A reward of $8,000 is offered by CrimeStoppers for information leading to the arrest of his murder.

JESSICA HAWK--Aug. 11, 2008: Jessica Hawk, 32, was found dead the morning of Aug. 11, 2008 in her home at 3013 Chartres St. in the Bywater, where she lived alone. Her nude body was propped up against a chair and had been stabbed multiple times. It is believed she may have been dead for a couple of days before her corpse was found.

About a month after her death, NOPD homicide detectives released an artist's sketch of a possible suspect in her slaying. They described him as a clean-cut white man, 25 to 35 years old, 6' tall, weighing 170 pounds. He was wearing a black crewneck jersey with elbow-length sleeves over a white shirt with 3" white cuffs. No one has been able to put a name on anyone based on that sketch.

A reward of $25,000 is being offered by CrimeStoppers.

CHRIS ROBERTS--June 17, 2007: The trail has gone cold for the killer who gunned down Chris Roberts, 33, in the doorway of his apartment building at Esplanade Avenue and N. Prieur Street in Esplanade Ridge around 8 p.m. on June 6, 2007 and stole his prized motorcycle.

Roberts hadn't been back long from his refuge from the storm in Huntsville, AL with his wife and infant daughter. Working at Fiorella's restaurant in the 1100 block of Decatur Street instead of his beloved occupation as a motorcycle designer/mechanic, he resumed the friendships he had in the Quarter before Katrina.

A reward of $3,000 is offered by CrimeStoppers.

HELEN HILL--Jan. 4, 2007: A pre-dawn home invasion on Jan. 4, 2007 at their home on the corner of N. Rampart and Spain streets in the Faubourg Marigny--about 10 blocks from where Jessica Hawk was murdered--left Hill dead with a bullet in her neck, her husband wounded 3 times, and their toddler son unharmed.

The murder of Hill, 36, a well-liked independent film maker, practically created a cottage industry of protesting the city's soaring murder rate. Hill was one of 6 people murdered in the city that same day, and followed by one week the slaying of well-known musician Dinerral Shavers. It was too much for the citizens of the city--anti-crime groups formed and thousands marched on City Hall on Jan. 11, 2007, demanding action. They got hollow promises but no action.

A reward of $15,000 is offered by CrimeStoppers.

MICHAEL FREY--March 19, 2006: The murder of Michael Frey on March 19, 2006 is believed to be the first in the NOPD's 8th District since the storm. But now, most of the news articles about him--and even tributes to him--have disappeared from the archives of the Times-Picayune and Gambit.

Frey, 28, was reportedly heading home to the Fabourg Marigny after leaving Molly's At The Market, 1107 Decatur St., when he was held up in the early morning hours of 3.19.2006 in the 2100 block of Chartres Street. Though Frey handed over his wallet as the robber demanded, the thug blasted him in the chest with a shotgun, killing him almost instantly.

CrimeStoppers lists no reward for his murderer.

* * *

If you have any information on any of these crimes, you can call CrimeStoppers anonymously at 822-1111 to be eligible for the reward.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Still WANTED for murder

"Wanted" posters circulated in 2010 for Francisco "Chico" Amaral--whom police say is the prime suspect in the murder of Ryan Trosclair (left)--have all but disappeared, as has Amaral.

Police will not say why they think Amaral, 57, committed the crime, but they think he has shed his scruffy appearance (below right) by shaving his beard and head (top right), and is now somewhere in the San Francisco Bay area. He is wanted for simple kidnapping and 2nd-degree murder.

At first, police reported Trosclair, 35, was beaten to death near Washington Square Park between 4 and 7 p.m. on July 22, 2010. Two days later, his charred corpse was found in a field in New Orleans East. Now NOPD homicide Det. Andrew Packer believes the beating occurred in the 2100 block of Chartres Street, in the Marigny Triangle between Frenchmen Street and Elysian Fields Avenue, where Amaral formerly resided. (It was in that same block that Michael Frey was murdered in 2006.)

Det. Packer speculated Trosclair was the victim of a drug deal gone bad. Trosclair, who had a bevy of friends in New Orleans (over 1,200 have "liked" a Facebook page dedicated to finding his killer), who lived in Slidell, grew up in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans. He had been arrested a couple of times on drug charges; his stepfather said Trosclair had been addicted to alcohol, cocaine and heroin for most of his life.

CrimeStoppers has tripled the reward to $7,500 for finding his killer. You can call CrimeStoppers anonymously at 822-1111 or Det. Packer at 784-7984 if you have information on Amaral's whereabouts.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Where did all the crime go?

Must be doing something right: In January, crime was as bad as I've seen it in the French Quarter in the last 5 years. Now, come February, it's remarkably tame.

In the 11 days since the first of the month, there have been 14 assaults, 6 robberies, and 3 rapes in the NOPD's 8th District, which includes the Quarter, CBD, and the Marigny Triangle and the newly-added Marigny Rectangle. And, to tell the truth, we haven't heard much of murders anywhere in the city in that time.

Makes you think the NOPD must be doing something right.

On the other hand...: 8th District cops have proven once again that they don't seem to know how to deal with violent assaults, and tend to cover them up until the public inquires. This horrific attack 2 weeks ago appeared nowhere in NOPD reports (nor the much vaunted Crime Map) until NOcrimeline inquired after a relative of the victim's asked us about it:

Around 3 a.m. on Sunday (1.29.12), 2 young men walking near the Jax Brewery parking lot on Decatur Street came upon a young woman being put upon by 3 young guys and they tried to come to her rescue. The first victim was struck by 2 of the boys. When the second victim tried to come to the aid of his compatriot, he was beaten to the ground by all 3 bullies, where they continued striking him until he lost consciousness with a jaw fractured in 3 places, his sinus cavity crushed, and cranial bleeding. He was hospitalized. The police couldn't say how old he is.

Using a video recorded by a nearby resident, detectives issued arrest warrants for 3 19-year-olds with frat-boy-sounding names: Richard J. Bienvenu IV, Brock R. Miramon, and Alexander K. Riecke. They were each charged with second-degree battery which carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison for inflicting "serious bodily injury." They surrendered to 8th District cops 4 days after the incident.

With apparently well-connected parents, they avoided the unpleasantness of Central Lockup by having the newest Criminal Court Judge, Franz Zibilich, preset bonds of $2,500 which kept them out of the slammer (hence, their booking mugshots are not available). They are all due in court 4.1.12.

It does beg the question: Are the cops covering up crimes like this? And it behooves you if you know of a crime to give NOcrimeline a shout--maybe we can find something out.

[Danny Monteverde of the Times-Picayune did a follow-up story on this with many more details.]

Speaking of cover-ups: Last May, the NOPD made a big deal of issuing a press release about Cynthia Hughes Rogers, 53, being wanted for embezzlement of over $60,000 from an apartment rental company in the French Quarter and a contractor in Kenner. She allegedly used the proceeds to buy a pearl-colored 2007 Lexus GS.

When Rogers finally was captured or turned herself in September, there was no notice from the NOPD. She was charged with 17 counts of theft and 17 counts of fraud. Her bond was set at $68,000, but when her court date came in November, she was already out of OPP (if she was ever in). The court record only says the charges were "referred", whatever that means. The NOPD won't say. District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro won't explain.

It sounds like a theft of that magnitude is being swept under the rug. I guess there's a big difference in the DA's book between being a blonde white woman driving a Lexus who steals $60,000 and a black guy who steals a $200 iPhone.

Case in point: Last Saturday (2.4.12), the NOPD made a big deal of tracking down and arresting a 30-year-old black guy, Travis Henderson. He allegedly boosted an iPhone and wallet from a woman's purse in a club in the 400 block of Bourbon Street around 1:10 a.m.

Using the tracking device on the phone, detectives traced the phone to the Chevron station at N. Rampart and St. Louis streets, right across from the NOPD's 1st District station. When they called the phone's number, Henderson allegedly reaching into his pants pocket for the phone. When police searched him, they said they also found $100 in cash in his pockets, along with the woman's credit cards, debit card and driver's license.

The press release claims detectives charged him with simple robbery, but court records indicate he was booked with only illegal possession of stolen things over $1,500. He sits in OPP in lieu of $30,000 bond. (Heaven help him if he had stolen over $60,000.)

The release labeled Henderson as a "possible career criminal" with his 9 felony, 12 misdemeanor, and 21 municipal arrests, most from 1999 when Henderson was 18. The NOPD didn't indicate if the blonde white woman had any prior arrests.

The rest of the robberies: Really, this is the extent of robberies since the first of the month--if the NOPD can be believed:

• Friday (2.3.12) 7:10 p.m.: A 45-year-old white man was robbed in front of 2273 Decatur St. (in the 8th District's newly expanded patrol area in the Marigny Rectangle) by 2 black hoodlums who stuck what was believed to be a gun in his back. They emptied his pockets and fled on foot toward St. Claude Avenue.

One robber was described as 6'4" tall with a slim build, wearing all dark clothing; the other was 5'5" tall, with a medium build, wearing a white sweatshirt and dark pants.

• Saturday (2.4.12) 11:45 p.m.: A 20-year-old white girl was walking in the 600 block of Spain Street in the Marigny Rectangle when 2 white thugs stuck what was believed to be a gun in her back and demanded money. She complied and they fled on foot toward the river.

One robber was described as in his 20's, 5'10" tall, wearing baggy clothes; the other was 5'10" tall, with a shaved head, also wearing baggy clothes.

• Sunday (2.5.12) 7:00 a.m.: A 22-year-old white man walking in the 600 block of Burgundy Street (between Toulouse and St. Peter streets) was robbed by 2 white guys whose descriptions sound a lot like those of the robbers of a white girl the day before in the Marigny. Apparently the victim had met the guys earlier the night before and got into an argument with them. They beat him up and cleaned out his pockets before fleeing in a silver-colored truck.

Both are described as 5'10" tall with thin builds, one with short dirty-blond hair, wearing a light-colored T-shirt and blue jeans, and the other wearing a white polo shirt.

• Tuesday (2.7.12) 7:45 a.m.: A 13-year-old black school girl waiting for the bus near Canal Street and Elk Place was robbed by a 14-year-old black girl she knew. The girl asked for money, then to use the victim's cellphone. The victim refused, but the older girl grabbed the phone from her hand and fled on foot.

Police nabbed the 14-year-old, who will disappear into the juvenile "justice" system, charged with simple robbery.

• Tuesday (2.7.12) 10:40 p.m.: A 21-year-old white man was robbed on by a gang of 3 black guys, one of whom stuck his hand behind the victim's back, implying he had a weapon, while the other 2 pushed him against the wall and rifled through his pockets. The trio fled on foot on Conti toward the river, but 2 were apprehended by cops.

They charged George Bradford (right), 26, and Reginald Gooden (left), 27, with first-degree robbery. Each is being held in OPP on $100,000 bond. The third member of the trio is still at large.

Rapes all around: The NOPD is reluctant to report rapes to the public, even though there were 3 of them in 4 days last week in the 8th District. For all we know, there might be a serial rapist running loose in the French Quarter:

• Saturday (2.4.12) 12:52 a.m.: Simple rape in the 141 S. Rampart St. (near Canal Street).

• Sunday (2.5.12) 11:36 p.m.: Aggravated rape in the 600 block of Bourbon Street (between Toulouse and St. Peter streets).

• Tuesday (2.7.12) 3:24 p.m.: A man raped in the 300 block of O'Keefe Avenue, possibly in the O'Keefe Plaza Hotel.

Remember the gang rape in Central City a couple of weeks ago? The NOPD wouldn't give any details on that brutal attack, though the victim's friends did. They might have continued the cover-up without the public's outcry and not have arrested 5 suspects in the case. The rule seems to be: Holler loud and long until you get the information you need--and contact NOcrimeline.

Good cop gone bad, briefly: There are few cops in the 8th District more beloved than former Quality of Life officer Roger Jones Jr. But the soft-spoken Jones, 38, was suspended without pay from the NOPD this past week after his counterparts in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans said he got liquored up last fall and was involved in 2 hit-and-run accidents with his police cruiser in those jurisdictions on the same day.

It's not to say those misdeeds ought to go unpunished if Jones is found guilty. But Super Chief Ronal Serpas has a bad habit of throwing away good cops for dubious offenses (see Jeff Winn, Marlon DeFillo, among others). Serpas' own son-in-law had a similar mishap before Serpas was appointed chief, but survived it and went on to be a fine detective in the 8th District.

Travis Ward, then 33, was initially charged with DWI after totaling a police cruiser while a member of the SWAT team, but the charge was reduced to a minor traffic offense. He was suspended without pay for 60 days.

All of this occurred before Serpas became chief, but nonetheless Serpas should show similar mercy on Jones, rather than lose a good officer the public adores.

* * *
Recent crimes in the 8th District

Sunday (1.29.12)

Theft, 640 Bourbon, 4:07 a.m.
Theft, 227 Bourbon, 4:55 a.m.
Theft, 333 Poydras, 11:26 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 836 Elysian Fields, 3:36 p.m.
Pickpocketing, 400 Bourbon, 4:00 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Girod & LaSalle, 8:07 p.m.
Shoplifting, 127 Royal, 8:35 p.m.
Theft, 409 O'Keefe, 8:47 p.m.

Monday (1.30.12)

Theft, 501 Decatur, 9:29 a.m.
Auto Theft, 200 Decatur, 1:07 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 600 Burgundy, 3:44 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 600 Kerlerec, 4:24 p.m.
Theft, 626 Kerlerec, 5:37 p.m.
Theft, 8 Canal, 10:19 p.m.

Tuesday (1.31.12)

Theft, Bourbon & St Ann, 4:14 a.m.
Auto Theft, 816 S Peters, 2:34 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, LaSalle & Perdido, 3:14 p.m.
Simple Robbery, 818 Chartres, 4:01 p.m.

Wednesday (2.1.12)

Theft, 441 Bourbon, 12:27 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 1200 N Peters, 8:02 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 800 Decatur, 8:51 a.m.
Theft, 1501 Girod, 11:51 a.m.
Theft, 500 Port of New Orleans, 1:30 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1000 Iberville, 6:57 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1000 Iberville, 8:12 p.m.
Theft, 900 Convention Center, 8:18 p.m.

Thursday (2.2.12)

Theft, 441 Bourbon, 12:22 a.m.
Auto Theft, O'Keefe & Poydras, 11:22 a.m.
Auto Theft, Canal & N Villere, 1:57 p.m.
Theft, 424 Bourbon, 9:59 p.m.
Theft, 8 Canal, 10:50 p.m.
Theft, 700 Bourbon, 11:05 p.m.
Theft, 227 Bourbon, 11:16 p.m.

Friday (2.3.12)

Theft, 639 Loyola, 6:52 a.m.
Shoplifting, 134 Royal, 12:24 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 200 Bourbon, 4:10 p.m.
Shoplifting, 400 N Peters, 6:27 p.m.
Simple Robbery, 2273 Decatur, 7:14 p.m.

Saturday (2.4.12)

Rape, 141 S Rampart, 12:52 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 600 Bourbon, 1:21 a.m.
Pickpocketing, Bourbon & St Louis, 10:47 p.m.

Sunday (2.5.12)

Simple Robbery, 600 Burgundy, 6:36 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 334 Royal, 9:45 a.m.
Armed Robbery, 600 Spain, 9:54 a.m.
Auto Theft, Ntachez & Tchoupitoulas, 10:12 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 1008 N Peters, 1:39 p.m.
Auto Theft, 310 Andrew Higgins, 3:16 p.m.

Monday (2.6.12)

Auto Burglary, Burgundy & Iberville, 2:38 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 200 Bourbon, 4:28 a.m.
Theft, 2 Poydras, 7:46 a.m.
Theft, 908 Esplanade, 9:51 a.m.
Shoplifting, 800 Canal, 8:31 p.m.

Tuesday (2.7.12)

Theft, 8 Canal, 12:18 a.m.
Theft, 800 Canal, 3:52 a.m.
Simple Robbery, Canal & Elk, 9:25 a.m.
Auto Theft, 2000 Royal, 1:49 p.m.
Theft, 416 Bourbon, 8:50 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 2100 Decatur, 10:07 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 300 Bourbon, 10:31 p.m.

Wednesday (2.8.12)

Theft, 423 Bourbon, 12:58 a.m.
Theft, 441 Bourbon, 1:25 a.m.
Theft, 345 St Joseph, 12:01 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 100 Baronne, 6:25 p.m.

Thursday (2.9.12)

Theft, 900 Convention Center, 8:37 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 1415 Girod, 12:14 p.m.
Theft, 219 Loyola, 12:15 p.m.
Shoplifting, 522 Bourbon, 7:45 p.m.
Theft, 511 Bourbon, 11:06 p.m.

Friday (2.10.12)

Auto Burglary, 200 Burgundy, 2:24 a.m.
Auto Burglary, Church & Julia, 11:00 a.m.
Theft, 721 Iberville, 3:29 p.m.
Auto Theft, 923 Constance, 9:48 p.m.

Saturday (2.11.12)

Pickpocketing, 500 Bourbon, 4:26 a.m.
Theft, 221 Carondelet, 12:16 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 333 Canal, 5:22 p.m.
Theft, 850 Convention Center, 8:14 p.m.
Theft, 315 Julia, 10:10 p.m.
Pickpocketing, 500 Bourbon, 11:27 p.m.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler

Another day, another "plan"

Plan, plan, everybody's got a plan: Let's see, first there was Super Chief Ronal Serpas' 2012 Crime Fighting Strategy he released the second day of January, then there was the "Milwaukee" plan (was that before or after, and who remembers what it was about), then there was the "St. Louis" plan Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced this week that he'd like judges to raise the bond on defendants arrested on gun charges to $30,000 to keep them in jail. How about just getting some cops on the street and getting the guns off it?

Here's what Jefferson Parish does to get guns off its streets: During a parade a couple of weeks ago, a sheriff's deputy saw a 17-year-old kid walking along, behaving suspiciously. He was constantly adjusting his waistband--a sign officers look for that indicates he might be concealing a weapon. The deputy approached the boy and told him he was going to search him. Sure enough, the boy had a handgun concealed in his waistband. He was arrested and is jailed in lieu of a $5,000 bond.

Mayor Mitch seems to forget a bond is to make sure a defendant shows up in court when he's supposed to, not a preemptive punishment. And Chief Serpas says most of the gun arrests by his officers are misdemeanors that end up in Municipal Court where a slap on the wrist is customary punishment.

Well, who the hell's fault is that? C'mon, Chief. Crack the whip and get your officers to pay attention to the goons around them. I'd bet you'd find a lot of punks packing heat that belong in jail for illegally carrying a weapon. And when they come out--regardless of the bond--it'll be sans their weaponry.

A big problem with NOPD officers is that they don't seem real observant: on their patrols (they do have patrols, don't they?) they don't notice abandoned cars, burned out street lights, or folks who just don't belong in that neighborhood, or who might be armed. If you really want to curtail homicides, get the guns gone. It's like kids: you can't stop them from running, but you can take away the scissors.

Toughen up: The state's gun laws are fairly tough; it's the prosecutors and judges who let those charged with gun offenses skate through. An assistant DA might tell a defendant, "We'll drop the weapons charge if you'll plead to the robbery"; well, yeah, who wouldn't want to escape that extra time.

The criminal court judges, though, typically sentence a defendant on felony illegal weapons charges to 6 months in jail--and then suspend it, so to the criminal its like getting off free.

State law calls for first offenders to be fined up to $500 and/or get 6 months in jail; almost a slap on the wrist.

But for second offenders, it starts to get serious: up to 5 years in prison; for 3 or more offenders, it's 10 years without parole.

If they possess or use a gun in a crime of violence (shooting, robbery, etc.), the penalty is a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years, without parole.

If they're already a felon and are caught with a firearm, the sentence is a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20.

Chief Serpas will tell you that most murder victims and their killers have prior arrests for illegal gun possession. So, it seems if you want to keep these murderers off the streets, be tougher earlier on:

1) The NOPD should slap a gun charge on any offense where a gun's present;

2) the District Attorney should stop using the charge as a bargaining chip or declining to prosecute it (by definition, a conviction for illegal weapons ought to go with any conviction for armed robbery);

3) Criminal Court judges should stop allowing pleas to lesser charges and handing out suspended sentences for weapons charges that call for stiffer sentences.

If you agree, email these people--the judges' addresses are at the lower right. Write them!

They ARE catching some of them: Always amazed at the arrests NOPD cops do make in robberies--particularly considering how scanty most victims' description of perps are. Here are the latest take-downs:

• Anthony Green, 17, was already in Central Lockup on attempted murder charges when Sgt. Nick Gernon and his squad of 8th District detectives linked him 1.22.12 to the armed robbery of a young black couple 1.5.12 in the 800 block of Commerce Street. The best description the victims could give of the robber was that he was a black boy in his late teens, 5'6" tall, wearing a dark hoodie. Nevertheless, the detectives made the connection and charged Green with 2 counts of armed robbery with a firearm.

• Authur Shaver, 31, made the mistake of not paying for a meal her ordered in a restaurant and was arrested 1.16.22 on that minor charge. Police found he was also wanted on a warrant from Tennessee for robbery. Then 8th District detectives made him on the armed robbery of Ditcharo's bar on Carondelet Street on 1.10.12. He's booked on armed robbery and is being held on $200,000 bond, including the out-of-state warrant.

• Torrey Hooks, 20, and David Blackledge (pictured), 19, were arrested after allegedly terrorizing the Lower Quarter on Thursday night (1.26.12)

A 44-year-old white man walking in the 1000 block of Barracks Street (between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets) around 9 p.m. was knocked to the ground by 2 black guys who then cleaned his pockets before running off.

Nearly 2 hours later, a 55-year-old man walking near Dauphine and St. Philip streets around 10:50 p.m. was knocked to the ground by the same 2 thugs who took his iPhone and ran.

By Sunday (1.29.12), 8th District detectives identified Hooks and Blackledge as the culprits and they were arrested by St. Bernard Parish sheriff's deputies. Blackledge was transferred to Orleans Parish where he was in and out of OPP in less than 24 hours on $10,000 bond.

Hooks is still in St. Bernard, where arrestees are often not heard of again. (Note the case of Desmond Woodbury, 20, who was arrested there last November for a carjacking in the Marigny Triangle; indications were that he would be quickly extradited to Orleans Parish, but he hasn't been heard of here since.)

• A 14-year-old black boy was arrested Tuesday (1.31.12) after he and 2 of his buddies rode up on bicycles and grabbed the iPhone from the hand of a 22-year-old white woman on Chartres Street near Madison Street. Of course, since he's so young and precious, you'll never learn whether or not he got justice.

(Think juveniles aren't dangerous? Over the weekend, cops arrested a young boy on N. Robertson Street, just north of Esplanade Avenue, who had in his possession 1.6 grams of crack cocaine that he was selling. When police checked his record, he already had 4 felony and 4 misdemeanor arrests as a juvenile--and he's not even 17 yet!)

Caught on cam: The female half of a white couple who robbed another white couple on Sunday (1.15.12) around 2:30 a.m. wound up on surveillance video as she tried to ditch her weapon on Dauphine Street.

The victims, a man 36 and woman 42, were walking on Toulouse Street near Dauphine when they were confronted by the man/woman team of robbers. The robbers demanded the victims' money and after they got it, fled on Dauphine toward Canal Street. A pedestrian who witnessed the robbery confronted the woman who tried hiding her gun under a parked car. The witness retrieved the gun and then got in a struggle with the gunwoman, who broke away and jumped into a silver-colored Ford Taurus and fled.

The video shows a remarkably clear image of the female robber.

The rest of the robberies:

• Wednesday (1.18.12) 7:10 a.m.: A 56-year-old white lady walking in the 300 block of Baronne Street in the CBD nearly lost her purse to a snatcher but held on while a bystander came to her aid. The would-be robber was described as a white guy (boy?), 5'4" tall, weighing 140 pounds, wearing a dark-colored hoodie.

• Wednesday (1.18.12) 7:15 p.m.: A 56-year-old white lady (let's hope it wasn't the same one who thwarted a robbery 12 hours earlier) lost her purse to 2 black boys who snatched it as she was walking near Gravier and Magazine streets in the CBD. One of the punks was described as 16 years old, 5'7" tall with a thin build, wearing a dark hoodie and dark pants; the other was 14 to 16, 5'11" with a thin build, wearing a dark-colored jacket.

• Tuesday (1.24.12) 9:15 p.m.: A 42-year-old white man getting into his car on Barracks Street near Decatur Street was struck by 2 black thugs who took his money and iPhone from his pockets. One is described as tall and muscular, wearing a gray sweatshirt and dark pants; the other as skinny, wearing all black.

• Wednesday (1.25.12) 9:05 p.m.: In the 700 block of St. Roch Avenue (yeah, it's part of the 8th District now, so its officers are spread even thinner), a 30-year-old Asian woman was walking along when a black guy on a bike swooped down and demanded her purse. He rode off on Dauphine Street toward Franklin Avenue. He was described as 20 to 25, 5'9" tall, weighing 160 to 170 pounds, wearing a black hoodie and dark pants.

• Sunday (1.29.12) 3:53 a.m.: What's it with taxicabs all of a sudden? A driver for American Taxi was carjacked by a fare he picked up at Dauphine and Conti streets. Cops later found the Toyota Sienna van abandoned in the 1500 block of N. Derbigny Street. Two nights later, another black thug carjacked a United Cab after hailing it in front of Armstrong Park; it was found later around the corner in the 1100 block of St. Philip Street.

* * *
Recent crimes in the 8th District

Sunday (1.15.12)

Pickpocketing, 511 Bourbon, 1:21 a.m.
Armed Robbery, 900 Toulouse, 2:24 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 2200 Decatur, 5:21 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 600 Baronne, 5:03 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1000 Bourbon, 7:48 p.m.
Auto Theft, N Rampart & Toulouse, 10:25 p.m.

Monday (1.16.12)

Theft, 239 Bourbon, 1:33 a.m.
Auto Theft, 500 Elysian Fields, 3:41 a.m.
Theft, 600 Decatur, 4:08 a.m.
Theft, Bienville & Bourbon, 4:29 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 333 Baronne, 8:08 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 300 Burgundy, 8:46 a.m.
Shoplifting (attempted), 232 Bourbon, 10:32 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 300 O'Keefe, 11:41 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 922 St Louis, 11:46 a.m.
Theft, 600 S Maestri, 12:29 p.m.
Auto Theft, 100 Bourbon, 12:55 p.m.
Theft, 1150 Convention Center, 2:03 p.m.
Theft, 145 Elk, 3:12 p.m.
Theft, 1150 Convention Center, 3:41 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, Chartres & Frenchmen, 9:24 p.m.

Tuesday (1.17.12)

Theft, 739 Canal, 7:59 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 1025 Bienville, 11:12 a.m.
Theft, 701 Bourbon, 12:28 p.m.
Theft, 739 Canal, 2:29 p.m.
Theft, 225 Decatur, 4:47 p.m.
Residence Burglary, 815 St Ann, 6:34 p.m.

Wednesday (1.18.12)

Auto Theft, 817 Common, 8:41 a.m.
Pursesnatching, 346 Baronne, 8:56 a.m.
Theft, 231 Carondelet, 10:09 a.m.
Auto Theft, 400 Dauphine, 12:37 p.m.
Theft, 333 St Charles, 1:37 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 145 University, 4:09 p.m.
Theft, Decatur & St Philip, 5:19 p.m.
Theft, 739 Canal, 6:21 p.m.
Shoplifting, 400 N Peters, 6:23 p.m.
Pursesnatching, Gravier & Magazine, 7:12 p.m.
Theft, 739 Canal, 7:44 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1500 Poydras, 9:52 p.m.

Thursday (1.19.12)

Theft, 700 S Peters, 12:45 a.m.
Theft, 100 Iberville, 2:29 a.m.
Theft, 620 Chartres, 4:54 p.m.

Friday (1.20.12)

Auto Burglary, 700 St Philip, 12:10 a.m.
Theft, 127 Elk, 9:36 a.m.
Theft, 301 Camp, 9:45 a.m.
Theft, 711 St Peter, 2:28 p.m.
Theft, 711 Canal, 6:47 p.m.
Shoplifting, 400 N Peters, 9:18 p.m.

Saturday (1.21.12)

Auto Theft, Elysian Fields& N Peters, 5:47 a.m.
Business Burglary, 1025 Bienville, 7:35 a.m.
Theft, 226 Carondelet, 9:47 a.m.
Shoplifting, 928 Canal, 1:38 p.m.
Theft, 221 Carondelet, 3:49 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1500 Poydras, 9:57 p.m.

Sunday (1.22.12)

Theft, 733 Bourbon, 12:34 a.m.
Theft, 300 Canal, 12:04 p.m.
Theft, 1136 Decatur, 1:08 p.m.
Theft, 501 Decatur, 1:09 p.m.
Theft, 614 Canal, 7:40 p.m.
Theft, 100 Iberville, 11:24 p.m.

Monday (1.23.12)

Auto Theft, Chartres & Toulouse, 10:19 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 2423 Burgundy, 10:39 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 2005 N Rampart, 10:48 a.m.
Theft, 936 Royal, 2:06 p.m.
Theft, 1238 Dauphine, 2:38 p.m.
Aggravated Assault, 8 Canal, 7:30 p.m.
Theft, 739 Canal, 7:46 p.m.
Auto Theft, Burgundy & Orleans, 9:11 p.m.

Tuesday (1.24.12)

Theft, 214 Royal, 1:17 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 900 Orleans, 1:52 a.m.
Auto Theft, 400 Elysian Fields, 5:22 p.m.
Simple Robbery, 500 Barracks, 9:18 p.m.

Wednesday (1.25.12)

Theft, 439 Dauphine, 12:43 a.m.
Theft, 519 Decatur, 12:48 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 2434 Chartres, 7:28 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 700 St Roch, 9:06 p.m.

Thursday (1.26.12)

Shoplifting, 1100 Bourbon, 12:37 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 100 Baronne, 2:21 a.m.
Theft, 123 Baronne, 5:22 a.m.
Theft, 301 Camp, 8:07 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 300 Decatur, 8:51 a.m.
Shoplifting, 1011 Tchoupitoulas, 9:34 a.m.
Theft, 124 St Charles, 10:31 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 927 Poeyfarre, 10:43 a.m.
Auto Theft, 334 Royal, 1:02 p.m.
Theft, 300 Bourbon, 1:46 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 1555 Poydras, 5:47 p.m.
Theft, 555 Canal, 8:16 p.m.
Simple Robbery, 1000 Barracks, 10:32 p.m.

Friday (1.27.12)

Auto Burglary, 600 Burgundy, 1:40 a.m.
Simple Robbery, Dauphine & St Philip, 2:44 a.m.
Theft, 227 Bourbon, 3:24 a.m.
Theft, 813 Frenchmen, 8:52 a.m.
Auto Theft, Mandeville & N Peters, 2:44 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 715 St Peter, 3:40 p.m.
Theft, 900 Convention Center Blvd, 3:57 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 2200 N Peters, 4:18 p.m.
Shoplifting, 232 Bourbon, 11:26 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 2200 N Peters, 11:53 p.m.

Saturday (1.28.12)

Auto Burglary, 800 Royal, 1:27 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 600 St Ann, 1:44 a.m.
Theft, 544 Bourbon, 1:57 a.m.
Theft, 500 N Rampart, 3:10 a.m.
Auto Theft, Royal & Ursuline, 5:25 a.m.
Theft, 123 Baronne, 6:57 a.m.
Theft, 936 St Charles, 8:30 a.m.
Pickpocketing, Bourbon & Canal, 8:36 a.m.
Business Burglary, 91 French Market Pl, 9:02 a.m.
Theft, 921 Canal, 12:51 p.m.
Shoplifting, 725 Magazine, 1:13 p.m.
Theft, 718 St Peter, 8:29 p.m.
Auto Theft, 611 O'Keefe, 10:01 p.m.
Auto Theft (attempted), 611 O'Keefe, 10:53 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Girod & LaSalle, 11:26 p.m.

* * *

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

Thom Kahler