NOPD releases photo in armed robbery near university campus gate

New Orleans police have released a surveillance photo in the investigation of an armed robbery early Friday near a gate to the Uptown university campuses, and another robbery was reported Monday night on the Xavier campus, authorities said.

Around 1:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 9, two 18-year-old Tulane students were sitting on the curb near the university gate in the 6300 block of South Robertson Street when two men who appeared to be in their early 20s walked up and “engaged them in conversation,” according to the NOPD news release. “One of the males produced a small silver semi-automatic pistol and ordered the victims to empty their pockets. The victims complied and the unarmed male proceeded to retrieve their property.”

The two men then fled on foot, the report states. On Monday, NOPD detectives have released a photo related to their effort to identify suspects in the case.

Around 8:30 p.m. Monday, another 18-year-old woman was in the 4800 block of Dixon Street on the Xavier University campus when she was confronted by an unknown man, the report in that case states.

“The subject demanded the victim’s property and implied a weapon by placing his right hand under his shirt,” the report states. “The victim struggled with the subject over her purse before he struck her in the face, snatched her cell phone and fled the location.”

Finally, an argument escalated into a possible kidnapping attempt but ended with a purse snatching Monday afternoon in Central City, according to a separate report. Shortly before 3:15 p.m., 19-year-old woman was involved in an argument with a man in the 1500 block of Freret (near Martin Luther King Boulevard), and he tried to force her into his vehicle, the report states.

“The victim was able to get away, but the subject fled the location in possession of the victim’s property,” the report states.

That incident is listed as an unarmed robbery.

Anyone with information in any of the above cases is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 822-1111 to leave an anonymous tip that could be eligible for a cash reward.