Saturday, May 31, 2008

New Orleans Robbery Blog

Robberies, armed and otherwise, are at an all time high. Three break-ins on our street alone.
Stories like this:

A robber placed a handgun to the temple of a 5-year-old child to induce two adults to hand over money Tuesday.

A man and woman have been arrested in the robbery of a Metairie convenience store and a cabdriver early Wednesday morning.

A New Orleans police officer fired a shot at a burglar who officers said pointed a gun at him as he ran out of a house in the Lower Coliseum Square neighborhood


And this is just today's paper.

There are basically 3 types of robbers you might get mixed up with in the NOLA summer.

1) The professional: This stick-up man is much like the highway man of old. They don't hide their face and they don't make a lot of threats. They take your money and tip their hat. It's like your paying the robber tax.

2) The mob: This is a group of kids welding fists or debris who don't know exactly what they want when they go out roaming the street, except when they see it, and then they just take it. You're likely to get hit with a car door, a flying punch, pushed down from behind and stomped on.

3) The child soldier: This is the 12 year-old kid with the shotgun whose brother (maybe?) has encouraged them. They got nothing to lose, or at least they don't think they do. Remember little Ze?

Good luck out there folks, it sure as shit ain't tourist season no more, but just cuz their ain't no supply don't mean there ain't a demand.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Pancakes

When we were kids, our fathers took us to the pancake house for all you could eat. We ate so much of that strawberry colored syrup that when we got outside we vomited pink all over the grey sidewalk.

This makes us twice as sick

Betsy McDaniel, 72, the owner of the popular Betsy's Pancake House in Mid-City, has died this morning, three days after she was brutally attacked in Marrero home

When we say there's so much violence it's hard to keep track of sometimes, we aren't talking about our work. We got it easy. We mean this stuff:

New Orleans police released details Wednesday of four non-fatal shootings over the weekend in Lower Coliseum Square, Central City, eastern New Orleans and in a residential area between the Broadmoor and Gert Town neighborhoods

1) 26-year-old Metairie man riding in the 2900 block of College Court in the front passenger seat of a Pontiac Grand Am was taken to Lakeside Hospital with a gunshot wound in the thigh
2)On Saturday about 3:50 a.m., a 19-year-old Harvey man was shot in the left side and left leg and taken to University Hospital in undisclosed condition. He told police he was driving west on Religious Street when a black Dodge Charger with dark-tinted windows pulled up to the left and rear of his vehicle. At least two occupants of the Charger lowered their windows and fired into the teenager's car, wounding him before speeding away west on Tchoupitoulas Street.
3)They say they like a 15 year-old for this shooting - Friday night shortly before midnight, a 23-year-old Central City man was shot inside his house in the 1800 block of Philip Street, police said. The victim called police who found him lying on the floor of the house with gunshot wounds to his upper left arm, upper right arm and right side of his neck
4) Innocent Bystander - In eastern New Orleans A 47-year-old woman who resided in a townhouse complex was shot while sitting amidst a group of arguing people.

Fear the Weekend

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Unclassified

We hope some day that our obituary reads like this:

Police are investigating an unclassified death on North Robertson Street and blocking all lanes of traffic in between Piety and Desire streets,

(later reports would indicate that "the victim had been stabbed several times and died at the scene") We can't help but notice that stabbings are going up. Is the heat making it easier to imagine ourselves participating in an impulse killing? Lord knows we could stab the next person who crosses Canal in front of us when we have the green light.

and not so much like this:

St. John the Baptist Parish authorities are investigating the death of a Mount Airy man who was found in the Mississippi River bound and gagged with tape. A tugboat operator discovered the body of Alfred Love, 47, in the river Friday near Reserve at about 7:35 p.m.

of course, when you consider the following report, our chances aren't so good down here in the NO L.A.

Lead exposure in children linked to violent crime

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Slipping

It's not that we've been not paying attention. We know we should have said something about this:

The Orleans Parish coroner's office has identified a 23-year-old New Orleans man who was found stuffed into a garbage can in Bywater with a gunshot wound to his head. The body was that of Christopher L. Lewis, 23. He was identified by fingerprints.

especially since the questionable can in question was a few feet from our headquarters.

But you know what? With things like this less than a block away:

At least three people were injured, two critically, during an assault Monday night at the intersection of Louisa Street and St. Claude Avenue, authorities said. Three people were shot and a fourth was stabbed.man was in critical condition, though it was not clear how many times he was shot or where he was wounded. A woman also shot once in the hip. The wound was not thought to be life-threatening. Meanwhile, emergency medical officials said they transported a 22-year-old woman who had been shot in the stomach, and a 20-year-old woman who had been stabbed in the arm in the same incident.


We haven't been missing the moves, we've been too busy ducking.

Also from our West Bank division:
A West Bank man was killed in Avondale on Thursday night, part of a recent violent trend in the area, neighbors said.
Dylan Charles, 32, who lived in the Beechgrove Apartments near Westwego, was found with several gunshot wounds in the driveway of a home in the 100 block of Winnona Drive shortly after 8:30 p.m

Friday, May 23, 2008

So Many Things...

...are off in this little piece of copy.

The mysterious deaths of a 46-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman found in the rear of a home at 3124 Orleans Ave. was solved Thursday when an autopsy revealed the two were stabbed to death. Kenneth Lewis and Brenda Joyce Jackson died of stab wounds.

Redundancy aside, we got to object to the usage of the word "solved" any where in this story.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Full Moon

Social workers schedule their work week around it.
Police will testify to its ability to sway.
Werewolves salivate for it.

In NOLA, we get this...

Police arrested two 18-year-old women in separate stabbing attacks this weekend

1) Davell Peterson, of the 2800 block of St. Philip Street, was booked with one count of aggravated battery after she allegedly stabbed her uncle several times in his right forearm and the right side of his face on Saturday

2)Renita M. Johnson, of the 2500 block of Bienville Street, was arguing with an unidentified person when she armed herself with a steak knife and cut that person's right hand. As the victim tended to the injury, police say Johnson began to breaking the victim's windows. They do not say if they were car or house windows. The stabbing victim then grabbed of the knife and stabbed Johnson several times

Some might blame this on the heat we're feelin'. It's a break from the norm, either way.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

What Happens on Monday

Stays on Monday:

A 34-year-old man was found murdered inside his Marrero home last night. Paramedics pronounced Corey L. Mills, who authorities said lived at 549 Ames Blvd., dead at the scene. Mills suffered from multiple gunshot wounds.Detectives have yet to determine a suspect or motive.

but, just like last week,

Mills had recently been released from an Iberville Parish jail, had an extensive criminal history of drug usage and involvement.

so he probably had it coming? Is that what they're saying? Anyway...

The headline for this story read:
"Teenager Shot on Central City Street"
This is, of course, the understatement of the year

A 17-year-old man was shot in the face, chest and abdomen Monday afternoon on a Central City street. The teenager was shot in the 2500 block of South Saratoga Street around 2:40 p.m. Police discovered the man about two blocks away in the 2000 block of Third Street, with wounds to his torso and jaw.

Last but not least:

A 17-year-old Ehret High School student shot himself three times Monday in a car in the faculty parking lot near the Marrero campus. Quang Tran Nguyen, 17, of Harvey, who authorities said committed an armed robbery on Carrollton Avenue earlier in the day, was in stable condition Monday. When Nguyen's mother learned of his involvement in the New Orleans crime, authorities said she ordered her son to surrender the weapon. "When the two of them were at Ehret, the mother saw Quang retrieve the weapon from his vehicle and he proceeded to shoot himself three times

Some of us over here at NOMB got Jewish Mothers. So we kinda know how this feels.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Quick Response

I write a general blog for the Lower Ninth Ward.
Can you tell me how many murders (and other types of violent crime) have occurred in the Lower Ninth Ward since the start of 2008?
Also, do you have locations?


We really don't go through the numbers that well. We spend more time with the media end of this thing. The reportage.

Your best bet is possibly here:
Nolafugees new murder map
or here:
Nola.com's homicide map
Although this NOLA.com one doesn't seem to be especially current.

The NOPD website you access through the city's web portal has a press release link, but it is slow to update and often pretty limitied in scope.

Sunday From The Porch

The triumphant return, etc...

At 3:30am, police arrive at at L.B. Landry Avenue and De Armas Street, near the base of the Crescent City Connection, only to find two New Orleans men, Michael Reed, 21, and Dalvin Rainey, 24, inside a car. Both had several bullet wounds.

But don't worry "average citizens", there's more:

Online records at Criminal District Court show Reed pleaded guilty in February to separate charges of possesssion of crack and possession of Ecstasy.

That makes it OK, right? We mean, at least that makes it palatable, like, we mean, we're not in any danger, right? That's, like, totally what they get for living that life, right? The life of a person who has probably never had access to education, institution of social power, and resume writing classes. So, it's cool, right?

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Comments Page

Since there seems to be some question as to the authenticity/authority of this blog, its editors and its information, lets take this murder free minute to explore.

On the subject of sources/procedures:
1)where do you get your info? just curious.. The police department often tows vehicles with the bodies inside to protect forsensic evidence.
Good question. Anything in italics is taken from print or online media (ie: Times-Picayune)
The burned vehicle was found April 30 near Interstate 10 and Michoud Boulevard, but the bodies were not noticed until the SUV was taken to the car rental lot in Kenner.

Its called the newspaper. Unfortunately, it's all we gots round here

On opinions:
2)Just wondering about your opinion on the Police Commish (this is totally off topic). I have heard a few interviews with him and he seems legit.

We really don't have opinions, as it were (except that murder is bad). We're more interested in cataloging and reportage. Any comments we might make that seem like opinion are usually the result of a deep seeded pain and confusion expressing itself as ironic/sarcastic banter.

Thanks for the interest.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Switch The Techniquie

We can only guess that maybe the criminal element is getting bored with the all too simple "drive up and shoot 'em" MO and are looking to add some spice to their lives. Observe the following wild west, gangster movie, hot blooded nonsense:

This is the incident choreography of the murder we ran yesterday.

A pair of brothers in a car ran over a young man Tuesday night, then shot him several times, leaving him for dead on a busy Central City street. Darnell P. Stewart, 23, of New Orleans, was dead at the scene in the 3400 block of S. Claiborne
The brothers -- Andre Hankton, 30, and Telly Hankton, 31 -- and the victim were involved in a car chase through the Central City area. At some point, Stewart got out of his vehicle and tried to run away. The Hanktons rammed their vehicle into Stewart and then shot him several times


Beaten to death, maybe the most gut turning way to go:
A Gretna man who was found beaten last week died Tuesday evening. Donald Dufrene III, 28, died at at 6:20 p.m. from head injuries. Dufrene was found May 6 lying in a pool of blood in the 100 block of Friedrichs Road in Terrytown.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Chinese Spies

Plead guilty.
Hornets crush Spurs.
Police officers checking out a report of gunfire about 9:45 p.m. find the man lying dead on the sidewalk in the 3400 block of South Claiborne, less than a block from Louisiana Avenue.
It's Wednesday morning, try to recognize the infinite in yourself, or something.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Keeping Eyes

How quickly things change after festival season -
1)The throngs are gone.
2)On a relaxing bike ride down N. Peters a man is lurking behind the big telephone pole, waiting for you to slow down enough to rush you.
3)The man in the car next to you pulls up along and stays even with you, staring right at you. The French Quarter seems extra dark.
4)School's out.


Shootings

1:A shooting took place shortly after 11 a.m. in the 2700 block of North Villere Street. A man was shot multiple times and transported to the hospital.
2:A man was shot in the back of the head in the 2400 block of Elysian Fields

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Summer

This appeared in our inbox a few posts back:
Alexander J. Chenault said...so how many murders are we at now?
Last we heard it was 72, we really don't count 'em. It requires too much introspection.
And attention to detail.
Anyway, the reason we bring it up is this.
It's summer folks, and if you want an interesting experiment, start your counting now.
Let's put the old adage to the test. When the heat goes up, the bullets fly.

Lets count:
1: Saturday about 9:30 p.m. Sixth District officers respond to a call of a shooting. They find a 15-year-old lying in the street near an abandoned school at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and South Robertson Street

2: Sunday 12:40 a.m., Fourth District officers find an unidentified man lying in the driveway of an apartment building in the 3300 block of Garden Oaks Drive in Algiers

3:Sunday 3:15 a.m., First District officers find the body of the third victim lying inside of a parked vehicle in the 800 block of North Claiborne Avenue. The 25-year-old man suffered an apparent gunshot wound to the torso and was pronouced dead on the scene

Shootings:
- Early Saturday, a New Orleans woman is shot in the leg in the French Quarter
- A man is shot in the leg in Algiers

We don't know how to feel about this one:

A teenager accused of shooting two people, one fatally, on May 1 in Mid-City surrendered to the New Orleans Police Department late Friday.Justin Hall, 19, was booked with second-degree murder.

Either:
1. He's one more stupid kid who kills, but actually got caught
2. He's being completely profiled, did absolutely nothing, and is making the brave (and almost assuredly regrettable) decision to stand up and fight the charges in court where he will be exonerated
3. He's one smart kid whose seen enough gangster movies and is confident (and justifiably so) that he can beat these charges

We mean, seriously, if you've seen the condition of the average NOPD squad car than you can't doubt the precarious situations our public defender and our DA offices are in.

He should've turned himself in in Mississippi and fought extradition based on the quality of defense he was likely to receive in NO. We mean, there's got to be a case there, right?

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Can't Catch 'Em All

So what, naysayers? Even we got to sleep sometimes. Or at least try to sleep:

Shootings

May 3rd: 1100 Block N. Prieur 2:45 AM
MAy 7th:
The New Orleans Police Department arrested Jowanda Netter, 19, in connection with the shooting of a 20-year-old man. The shooting occurred Monday night at the corner of Second and Dryades Streets in Uptown.

It doesn't make us bad at our jobs.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Happy B-Day Isreal

While the lovely fire spinning, salsa dancing, gospel singing citizens of Cincinnati celebrated the founding of Zion, our peoples back in the city were celebrating their own special occasion. Little known fact, yesterday was the 200th year anniversary of New Orleans first attempted murder. The 7th ward held a ceremony in honor of the momentous occasion:

New Orleans police flooded part of the 7th Ward on Thursday about noon and momentarily placed St. Augustine High School on lockdown while searching for a gunman who exchanged fire with an officer earlier in the day.A uniformed officer in an unmarked car was driving on St. Bernard Avenue near North Miro Street about 11:30 a.m. when he saw two men, one wielding a handgun, get out of a Lexus. The gunman shot several times at the other man. The officer started chasing the gunman and the gunman shot at the officer.


It can happen anywhere, folks. Where yat, New Orleans.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Development and Planning

Expatriated from New Orleans, we discover college campuses with huge swaths of zinc plated buildings, integrated green spaces and historic brick commingling. Neighborhood development concerned with sustainable "green" building techniques, storm water drainage solutions and soy insulation.

Back home, we welcome back our ex patriots with bullets. A leftover beef or whatever

New Orleans police are tying to solve the shooting death of a Hurricane Katrina evacuee who was back in New Orleans to visit his grandfather. Elijah Bentley, 21, of Baton Rouge was shot Monday about 9 p.m. in the 10200 block of Castlewood Drive in eastern New Orleans, Bentley died at the scene, in front of a home two blocks north of Morrison Road and Read Boulevard. Bentley was shot in the face, New Orleans Police Department spokeswoman Sabrina Richardson said. An autopsy showed Bentley suffered several gunshot wounds.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Really?

Could this...

Violent crime jumped almost 20 percent in New Orleans during the first three months of 2008

Have any connection to this?

New Orleans police obtained an arrest warrant Monday for David Bonds, the 19-year-old acquitted last month of the 2006 killing of a popular New Orleans musician, saying he is wanted in a nonfatal shooting early Sunday morning


Last month, seriously brah, try to not shoot someone for, like, at least half a year or something.

Monday, May 5, 2008

We're in Ohio People

So give us a break already,

From NO East, still the untamed wilderness we've all hoped it would be:

A local man was "suicided" to death Sunday afternoon in eastern New Orleans.
Brandon McCue, 22, of New Orleans, was shot shortly after 2 p.m. in the 7700 block of Chef Menteur Highway. Police responded to a call that someone had been "suicided", and found McCue lying in a driveway inside a trailer park east of Wilson Avenue. McCue had multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.


Sometimes, even we don't know what to say.

17-year-old Marrero woman was in critical condition Sunday and her unborn baby was dead after she was accidentally shot by a friend, who was booked in the death of the fetus, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Suicide

What with the wholly "unexpected" "suicide" of the D.C. Madam, it occurs to us over here at the NOMB that we might've been a bit to hasty in our reportage as of late. To make amends, we're gonna reserve our judgments over dead bodies until all the facts are in.

From Friday:

A double "suicide" at a home near Mid-City left a 20-year-old man dead just inside the front door and a 17-year-old wounded Thursday evening.

About 6:30 p.m., 1st District officers responding to a call of a "suicide" found the two victims inside one half of a double in the 2900 block of Banks Street, near South Dupre Street.


From the vaults
April 21st:
"Attempted suicide" - Banks and S. Broad 4:30 PM
"Attempted suicide" - 500 blk S. Dorgenois 3:49 PM
"Attempted suicide with a knife" - 2000 Perdido St. 12:19 AM

Friday, May 2, 2008

Jazz Fest/Murder Connection

Is it just us or does it seem like there are two constants this Jazz Fest

1: It rains as soon as the gates open
2: People start getting shot

A woman was killed and a man injured in a double shooting that broke out around midnight in the courtyard of Iberville housing development in the 1400 block of Conti Street. Police found an unidentified woman with a lethal gunshot wound to the head and a 24-year-old man also shot in the head.

This story, while not necessarily in our jurisdiction, caught our attention:

The death of a woman whose body was found Thursday hanging from a tree branch in Reserve is being investigated as a homicide. An autopsy is scheduled for this morning at the Orleans Parish coroner's office.

Enjoy your weekend

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Commander's Palace

There are slew of theories over here about why someone might light a couple on fire and put them in the back of the rented SUV. It could certainly be because they passed off this tomb of a restaurant as a bona fide recommendation for New Orleans cuisine.

NOMB heard the channel 4 late breaking news while sitting in down at the Tulane Clinic for internal medicine, next to a some new parents arguing over who watches more television in Spanish, and how, now with the baby and all, they ought to be watching more TV in English:

A tow truck operator and employees of a rental car agency discovered burned, dismembered human remains Wednesday morning inside a torched and abandoned rental vehicle.Desi Bradford, of New Orleans, worried that the remains are of his relative, Jarnell Sanders, 22, and his girlfriend, Candice Guillard, 24, both of whom have been reported missing, might be inside.

The best part of this is that NOPD was dispatched to the scene of the burning car, assessed the situation, and called in the tow truck, all the while oblivious to the bodies inside. Powers of Deduction.