Two Uptown businesses were robbed at gunpoint Monday night, the New Orleans Police Department reported.
A woman took money from the safe of a business in the 2800 block of South Claiborne Avenue after forcing the customers and workers into a walk-in freezer, police said.
The woman was armed with handgun when she entered the business at about 8:10 p.m. She went behind counter and forced five people — four teenage females and a 30-year-old male — into the freezer.
She then had the manager open the safe at gunpoint and took an unknown amount of money before fleeing on foot.
Later on Monday, at about 10:20 p.m., employees at a Freret Street business were robbed of the night’s tips.
A man had come into the business in the 4900 block of Freret earlier and was unable to make a purchase, police said. A short time later, he came back with a gun and ordered the cashier to open the register.
When the cashier refused, the gunman grabbed the cash from a tip jar and fled.
Further details were not immediately available. Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 to leave an anonymous tip that could be eligible for a cash reward.
