Four carjackings happened in one day across New Orleans as police and criminal justice leaders struggle to right the ship on the city’s criminal justice system.
All four carjackings happened Wednesday in separate locations across the city.
According to the NOPD, the first carjacking happened at about 9:20 a.m. at the corner of Magazine Street and Toledano Street in the Irish Channel.
Police say the 31-year-old female victim was seated in the backseat of her vehicle when an armed suspect approached. The victim exited the vehicle and the suspect then fled in the victim's white Nissan Altima with Louisiana license plate 718EXY.
Sixteen minutes later a 53-year-old man was carjacked, this time on the corner of Burgundy and Homer Plessy Way.
The victim was driving when he saw a female parked in a vehicle. The male victim stopped and exited his vehicle to speak to the female according to police. That is when police say a male subject approached the victim from behind and said he was armed. The male subject then stole the victim’s vehicle and both suspects fled the scene.
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Later that night, at about 7:38 p.m. a man was carjacked following a fender bender at the corner of France St. and N Dorgenois Street.
Police say a male suspect struck the victim’s vehicle from behind. The victim exited his vehicle to assess the damages, at which time the suspect approached the victim, implied he had a weapon, and demanded keys to the victim’s vehicle. The victim complied and the suspect fled in the victim’s silver 2016 Honda Accord with Texas plate NVP8969.
Then, at about 8:13 p.m., two men were carjacked 1700 block Alvar Street.
Police say the two male victims were sitting in the vehicle when three armed men ordered the victims out of their vehicle. The victims complied and the suspects fled in victims’ gray 2020 Nissan Altima with Louisiana license plate 983DRE.
Violent crimes such as shootings, armed robberies, homicides, and carjackings continue to plaque New Orleans as it prepares to take on drastic reforms to policing strategies and a bottlenecked criminal justice system.
According to crime data from the watchdog group, Metropolitan Crime Commission shows homicide in the city is up 93% from 2019 to 2022. Shootings are up 220%, armed robbery increased 74%, and carjackings are up 450% over the same three-year period.
The MCC says carjackings continue to be a thorn in the city’s side. Carjackings are up 450% relative to 2019, 78% relative to 2021 with 66 carjackings so far this year.