Man arrested on robbery charge after dispute with acquaintance over money inside van, police say

A man walking on South Claiborne Avenue on Saturday night was summoned into a van by an acquaintance who then demanded money from him and pushed him back out of the vehicle when he refused, New Orleans police said.

The victim, a man in his 30s, was walking in the 2000 block of South Claiborne Avenue (near Martin Luther King Boulevard) shortly after 9:30 p.m. Saturday when a white van driven by Francisco Torres-Gomez drew near, according to the initial NOPD report. Torres-Gomez told the victim to get into the van, and because the victim knew Torres-Gomez, he did so, the report states.

Torres-Gomez “then demanded money, and when the victim refused, he was pushed out of the van,” the report states.

Torres-Gomez was later arrested and charged with attempted simple robbery, according to jail records.

Anyone with additional information is urged to call the NOPD Sixth District station at 658-6060 to speak to a detective, or CrimeStoppers at 822-1111 to leave an anonymous tip that could be eligible for a cash reward.