NOPD: Deliveryman blinded by thrown bleach in theft of pizza

Posted by Robert Morris at 5:25 pm crime, public safety

Feb 092011

Terrence C. Alexis (via opcso.org)

A teenager in Hollygrove blinded a deliveryman with bleach in order to rob him of the pizza he had brought, police said Wednesday.

Terrence C. Alexis, 19, ordered a Domino’s pizza to the 8600 block of Palm Street last Thursday, Feb. 3, and was waiting with a cup of bleach when it arrived about 4:30 p.m., said Sgt. Shaun Ferguson of the NOPD Second District persons-crimes division. Alexis threw the bleach into the deliveryman’s eyes, causing him to drop the pizza, Ferguson said. Alexis then grabbed the pizza and ran off, Ferguson said.

Investigators were able to locate Alexis based on descriptions by the victim and by area residents, Ferguson said.

“He admitted specific intent to take the pizza by throwing the bleach into his eyes,” Ferguson said.

The victim’s doctors say the damage to his eyes is temporary, but he is still receiving treatments and has yet to regain his sight, Ferguson said.

The case had originally been reported as an attack, but after investigators spoke to Alexis and conferred with the district attorney’s office, the charge was upgraded to simple robbery.

http://www.slowsouthernstyle.com Christy

Wow this is seriously sad. Blinding someone to steal a pizza that was probably under $15?
JK

Seems to go beyond “simple robbery.”

There should be some law against “attempted blinding.”
blathering

Why isn’t this assault?
- http://UptownMessenger.com Robert Morris
  
  Assault is generally an act that’s a precursor to a battery, like shooting at someone but missing. Shooting and wounding them would be battery.
  
  Alexis was initially charged with second degree battery, RS 14.34.1, which you can read the definition of at http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=78445. It carries up to five years in prison.
  
  The simple robbery charge is RS 14.65 (http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=78602), which carries up to 7 years.
  
  So the robbery charge actually carries a more severe penalty.
  
  But, it’s worth noting that opcso.org still has Alexis listed as charged with both, so perhaps the battery charge is going to remain. If I can get more information to clarify this last point, I will.
  
  Thanks for a good question. I’ll try to include these main links in the articles in the future.
  - JK
    
    So stealing the pizza was worse than the bleach in they eye…
  - Courrèges
    
    My question is why they aren’t charging him with aggravated battery, a more serious felony than second-degree battery, which is tailored to just this type of crime — a battery involving the use of a dangerous weapon (the statute explicitly mentions chemicals), meaning any instrumentality that in the manner used either causes or is likely to cause serious bodily harm (bleach in the eyes would seem to qualify).
    
    He should be charged with both aggravated battery and simple robbery, IMO.
  - Al Costanzo
    
    What about the fact that it was premeditated? He had another person and they planned it, how about adding conspiracy to the list of charges? Why not?? Shit if the DA really had a hard on for the guy there would be a laundry list of charges, but no then the judge and DA would be accused of being racist. The whole legal system is so bias…….
http://uptownmessenger.com/2011/02/nopd-deliveryman-blinded-by-thrown-bleach-in-theft-of-pizza/ Jasmin

You know, I’ve send this guy literally lurking in the Hollygrove neigborhood when I am passing through. He stands on the corner all the time. Occassionally making his way back to the lil yellow house on Monroe where he resides. Because I live in Metairie, I sometimes wonder why the neighbors in that area allow him to simply hang on the corner. But I guess there’s no law against looking scary and intimidating all passing by. I hope the courts don’t look into his face and feel sorry for him. He clearly understands right from wrong. Where is his mom and dad, or family? What is the mindset within the home???
Al

Yes I see him everyday as well.
Krystal

What a sad excuse for a human being. They should just throw him under the jail AFTER they throw bleach in his face.
Michael

I lived in “Hollygrove” from 1953 – 1993 so this insane act of brutality is hardly a surprise. Right before our move, I tried to order a pizza from several places and was told flat out “we do NOT go into Hollygrove. If you want a pizza, come and get it.” Too bad this delivery man’s employer did not adopt the same common sense policy. My childhood neighborhood is now a free fire combat zone, unfit for human habitation. R.I.P. Hollygrove…
- http://UptownMessenger.com Robert Morris
  
  Michael – while this incident was undeniably barbaric, I will say, in the neighborhood’s defense, that it was area residents who apparently helped police identify the suspect. Far worse would have been if the residents had tolerated this crime or even hid its perpetrator. So I probably wouldn’t write the entire neighborhood off completely, though clearly it needs a tremendous amount of work and attention.
  - Michael
    
    I am sure the blinded delivery man feels much better that the locals helped ID the perp. (After all, kind of hard to ID someone when you are blind.) I wrote “the entire neighborhood off completely” when I got my elbow shot to pieces trying to walk to my home years ago. For every decent, hard working, upright resident of Hollygrove, there are untold thousands of violent, drug addicted, amoral degenerates who will kill you for the contents of your pockets. No need to be an apologist for Hollygrove, and thanks for your input.
Snake

Mr. Morris, nola.com is reporting that this gentleman is 4’11″ and 309 lbs. Can you confirm that?
- http://UptownMessenger.com Robert Morris
  
  Snake – I learned about this incident directly from Sgt. Ferguson at the Second District’s weekly comstat meeting, so I don’t have a copy of the actual incident report. But Alexis was described by the detectives as relatively short and heavy, so I wouldn’t dispute the numbers from the nola.com article.
http://whaleheadking.blogspot.com Whalehead King

Congrats on scooping the Times-Picayune and getting credited in their report on this incident. My wife was reading the paper this morning and said, “I already read this on Uptown Messenger. There’s nothing new here.” Keep up the good work. Thanks.
- http://UptownMessenger.com Robert Morris
  
  Thanks. We were very grateful to Mr. Monteverde and the newspaper for attributing that information to us.
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http://www.facebook.com/Slim.Dummie Debrone Burns

Mann, Thys Dude T-Man Dumb As Hell, That’s Y I Stopped Hangin Wit That Stupid Lil Dude !