Four carjackings occur within 12-hour span at New Orleans gas stations
NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Police are asking residents to be on alert while at gas stations following a string of area carjackings, robberies, and attempted carjackings at gas stations, WWL-TV reports.
Police say the suspect is armed and seems to target those who leave their vehicle running while pumping gas.
In addressing the crime spree, 7th District Captain Nicholas Gernon said, “Within a 12-hour period we’ve had four incidents occur. We believe it’s the same individual. And in three of those four instances, they were willing to use a weapon to steal or attempt to steal something.”
The first incident occurred Wednesday (March 31) evening around 8 p.m. at a Speed Racer gas station on Crowder Boulevard.
Police say a man jumped into a running car while the driver was attending to other business at the gas station. When the driver confronted him, the suspect threatened her with a gun and fled with her car.
Police say it was only 20 minutes later when the same suspect returned to the Crowder Boulevard gas station and stole another running car.
The third incident took place early Thursday morning, around 6:30 a.m. at the Brother’s in the 7000 block of Bullard Avenue. Police say a man in a black, stolen SUV (likely the same suspect in the Crowder Boulevard crime) hopped into the driver’s seat of another car while the owner was pumping gas.
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The driver confronted the man and he brandished a gun, but ran away. Surveillance video caught a clear photo of the black SUV the suspect was driving and a possible accomplice.
About 15 minutes later, WWL-TV reports, at the Fuel Express Mart in the 6500 block of Morrison Road, police were able to obtain clear video footage of the suspect.
Police say he attempted to steal another running car, and when the driver confronted him, he pointed a gun at her and demanded her purse.
“We need people to be aware of their surroundings. These are four very quick robberies that happened in quick succession, right, over a twelve-hour period,” Captain Gernon urged.
Police are warning citizens to remain alert, and avoid confronting an armed suspect. They encourage anyone who is targeted to call 911.
Capt. Gernon said, “Please don’t confront them. Because right now, we know that there’s somebody that is targeting individuals that are not paying attention.”