Another bike bandit: A 27-year-old white man walking in the 1700 block of Pauger Street (between N. Rampart Street and St. Claude Avenue) last Tuesday (7.13.10) around 11 p.m. was robbed of his wallet at gunpoint by a black hoodlum on a red and white mountain bike.The victim described the robber as in his mid-20's, 5'10" tall, wearing a dark shirt and tan shorts. The robber is believed to be the same one who struck this morning (7.16.10) around 2:20 a.m., robbing a white woman walking in the 1000 block of Ursulines Avenue (between N. Rampart and Burgundy streets). He too was on a bike and pulled a gun on his victim.She described him as in his 20's, with short hair, wearing a white polo shirt and black shorts. Violent robberies: A white couple walking near Barracks and Dauphine streets were robbed just after midnight Wednesday (7.14.10) morning by 2 black thugs who jumped out of a SUV, brandishing pistols. The 22-year-old man gave up his wallet, but the robbers pistol-whipped the 24-year-old woman, striking her in the face with their guns. The assailants then fled down Barracks toward N. Rampart Street. The next night, Thursday (7.15.10), a white guy walking in the 500 block of St. Louis Street (between Decatur and Chartres streets) just after 10 p.m. was accosted by a black crook who demanded his money. When the victim refused to give it up, the black guy struck him and fled on foot on toward N. Rampart Street.Police, aided by a witness, apprehended Alan Cousin, 27, who has a history of prostitution arrests, and charged him with attempted simple robbery and negligent injuring.Last weekend, Saturday (7.10.10), a guy (had to be a tourist) came out of Harrah's Casino and several other bars in the French Quarter in a very inebriated state (imagine that). He accepted a ride in a white SUV with a black dude and 2 black chicks.Then the black guy, a passenger in the front seat, demanded the victim's wallet. When he refused, the guy hopped into the back seat and, along with the black woman passenger in back, began punching the victim. The victim managed to jump out of the vehicle in the 1200 block of S. Saratoga Street (the other side of Calliope Street) with the black man and woman right behind him. They resumed punching and kicking the victim before finally fleeing in the SUV.When all was said and done, "the victim was able to keep all of his possessions," according to the police report. Finally after 5 years: A case sordid even by New Orleans standards--involving a gay man of arts-and-letters, a shady lady, and a male dancer at a club that advertises "world famous love acts"--came to a conclusion this week.Cleveland Moore, 43, was convicted of manslaughter and aggravated battery, after originally being charged with murder and attempted murder.The charges stem from a night of untold horror on 11.14.05 inside the home of Jon Newlin, a well-known clerk at a bookstore on Chartres Street in the French Quarter. In the course of the night in the residence on Marigny Street in Faubourg Marigny, Moore is alleged to have clobbered Newlin so hard on the head with a wine bottle that it shattered and knocked him out; then Moore is said to have used the same bottle to stab and slash the throat of Joyce Rader, 36, who reportedly had a history of drug and prostitution arrests.She was he first known homicide in the city committed by a civilian after Katrina. The attack left Newlin paralyzed on his left side; he testified at the trial while strapped to a gurney.Moore, who fled to Florida after the mayhem, was finally found and arrested in 2007 and returned to New Orleans. A jury found Moore guilty of the lesser charges on Wednesday (7.14.10). He would have faced a mandatory life in prison sentence if convicted on the second-degree murder charge, but now is subject to a 40-year sentence. He is to be sentenced 8.16.10 by Judge Keva Landrum-Johnson. * * *As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.com Thom Kahler
Another bike bandit: A 27-year-old white man walking in the 1700 block of Pauger Street (between N. Rampart Street and St. Claude Avenue) last Tuesday (7.13.10) around 11 p.m. was robbed of his wallet at gunpoint by a black hoodlum on a red and white mountain bike.The victim described the robber as in his mid-20's, 5'10" tall, wearing a dark shirt and tan shorts. The robber is believed to be the same one who struck this morning (7.16.10) around 2:20 a.m., robbing a white woman walking in the 1000 block of Ursulines Avenue (between N. Rampart and Burgundy streets). He too was on a bike and pulled a gun on his victim.She described him as in his 20's, with short hair, wearing a white polo shirt and black shorts. Violent robberies: A white couple walking near Barracks and Dauphine streets were robbed just after midnight Wednesday (7.14.10) morning by 2 black thugs who jumped out of a SUV, brandishing pistols. The 22-year-old man gave up his wallet, but the robbers pistol-whipped the 24-year-old woman, striking her in the face with their guns. The assailants then fled down Barracks toward N. Rampart Street. The next night, Thursday (7.15.10), a white guy walking in the 500 block of St. Louis Street (between Decatur and Chartres streets) just after 10 p.m. was accosted by a black crook who demanded his money. When the victim refused to give it up, the black guy struck him and fled on foot on toward N. Rampart Street.Police, aided by a witness, apprehended Alan Cousin, 27, who has a history of prostitution arrests, and charged him with attempted simple robbery and negligent injuring.Last weekend, Saturday (7.10.10), a guy (had to be a tourist) came out of Harrah's Casino and several other bars in the French Quarter in a very inebriated state (imagine that). He accepted a ride in a white SUV with a black dude and 2 black chicks.Then the black guy, a passenger in the front seat, demanded the victim's wallet. When he refused, the guy hopped into the back seat and, along
 with the black woman passenger in back, began punching the victim. The victim managed to jump out of the vehicle in the 1200 block of S. Saratoga Street (the other side of Calliope Street) with the black man and woman right behind him. They resumed punching and kicking the victim before finally fleeing in the SUV.When all was said and done, "the victim was able to keep all of his possessions," according to the police report. Finally after 5 years: A case sordid even by New Orleans standards--involving a gay man of arts-and-letters, a shady lady, and a male dancer at a club that advertises "world famous love acts"--came to a conclusion this week.Cleveland Moore, 43, was convicted of manslaughter and aggravated battery, after originally being charged with murder and attempted murder.The charges stem from a night of untold horror on 11.14.05 inside the home of Jon Newlin, a well-known clerk at a bookstore on Chartres Street in the French Quarter. In the course of the night in the residence on Marigny Street in Faubourg Marigny, Moore is alleged to have clobbered Newlin so hard on the head with a wine bottle that it shattered and knocked him out; then Moore is said to have used the same bottle to stab and slash the throat of Joyce Rader, 36, who reportedly had a history of drug and prostitution arrests.She was he first known homicide in the city committed by a civilian after Katrina. The attack left Newlin paralyzed on his left side; he testified at the trial while strapped to a gurney.Moore, who fled to Florida after the mayhem, was finally found and arrested in 2007 and returned to New Orleans. A jury found Moore guilty of the lesser charges on Wednesday (7.14.10). He would have faced a mandatory life in prison sentence if convicted on the second-degree murder charge, but now is subject to a 40-year sentence. He is to be sentenced 8.16.10 by Judge Keva Landrum-Johnson. * * *As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.com Thom Kahler