An understaffed New Orleans Police Department is investigating two carjackings and two armed robberies in less than 12 hours on Wednesday.
The first happened at about 3:43 p.m. in the 3300 block of Grand Route St. John Street in the Fairgrounds neighborhood.
According to an NOPD report, the female victim was exiting her vehicle when she was approached by the suspect who was armed with a handgun and demanded her vehicle. The victim complied and fled on foot. The suspect then entered the victim's 2013 white Cadillac and fled in an unknown direction.
Then later at about 7:19 p.m., another woman was carjacked by two men in the 1200 block of Hagan Avenue.
Police say one suspect produced a gun and the victim handed her car keys over to the second suspect. Both suspects got into the victim's grey 2012 Chevy Equinox and fled the location in an unknown direction.
The crime spree did not stop there as two separate armed robberies happened a short time later.
The first happened at about 8:35 p.m. in the 8000 block of Crowder Boulevard.
Police say the male suspect demanded a cashier at the location empty the register and the business’s back safe. The victim complied and the suspect fled with two bags containing $800.
Then at about 1:24 a.m. a man was robbed at the corner of S Derbigny Street and Thalia Street.
According to police, the suspects pulled up in a red Ford Focus and began talking to the victim.
As the victim started to walk away, the suspects exited the vehicle brandished a weapon, and searched the victim’s pockets. The suspects took $87.00 from the victim and fled in the vehicle toward Martin Luther King Boulevard.
According to crime data from the watchdog group, Metropolitan Crime Commission, there have been 163 carjacking incidents so far in 2022 which is up 7% from last year.
Armed robberies continue with 272 robberies so far in 2022 which is 30% higher than the same time last year.
