It seemed like a bunch teenaged gangsters had a good thing going.
They enlisted the aid of girlfriends and other women to lure unsuspecting victims to a location in Metairie where the gang would then rob them.
At the point of guns and threat of violence, three previous victims gladly gave up wallets, money, cellphones.
But the fourth such robbery went wrong, and a victim was dead of a gunshot to the head.
That was January 22nd.
Now, according to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, seven suspects are under arrest, three of them juveniles and two of them girls.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Captain Joseph Rivarde identified the suspects as “Daniel Eliu Rivera, 20, Jesus Martinez, 18, Mayki Meza Torres, 19, and a 17-year-old girl worked together on multiple occasions to lure people and rob them.”
Wilmer Moreno is another adult suspect under arrest as is a 17-year-old boy.
All of the suspect live in the same general area of Metairie, near the common meeting place they would lure victims to, 3100 Houma Boulevard.
Sheriff’s determined the robbery crew would use social media to set the victims up with a girl who went by the name Chinita.
The victim would pick up the girl, she would tell them to drive to the spot on Houma Boulevard to pick up a friend. That’s when the crew would pounce.
The crew ended up killing victim Carlos Castillo, his body was found the day after.
After the murder the crew left the area, for Miami and New Jersey.
But others were arrested.
Moreno was taken down at his apartment in Metairie, Eliu and Meza were apprehended in Miami, Martinez was busted in New Jersey by US Marshals.
All are facing robbery, conspiracy or murder charges in one way or another.