Rash of carjackings continues across Uptown neighborhoods

Carjackings and other robberies are becoming commonplace in Uptown neighborhoods, according to New Orleans Police Department reports from the past week.

Early Wednesday morning (Jan. 12), a 48-year-old man was robbed by a group of men at Earhart and South Lopez streets.

At about 1:25 a.m. the men grabbed the victim and forced him to the ground. They held him down, took his wallet from his pocket and ran off.

On Monday night (Jan. 10), a would-be carjacker approached the drivers of two separate cars in the Freret neighborhood. The victims, a 30-year-old and a 25-year-old, were both in the 2300 block of Cadiz Street at about 11:15 p.m. when a man pulled up in a gray sedan, demanding their keys.

After the victims refused, the carjacker fled in the gray sedan.

A gray 2021 Hyundai Elantra, with Louisiana license plate 967 ESI, was stolen in a carjacking about 40 minutes earlier in the Broadmoor neighborhood.

In an incident reported Monday at 10:34 p.m., a 27-year-old man was carjacked at gunpoint while parking his Hyundai sedan in the 4300 block of Prieur Street. An armed man walked up to the car and demanded he get out. The victim complied.

Just before 6 p.m. on Monday, a man was inside his car in the 4700 block of Thalia Street, near the Blue Plate Artists Lofts. Two armed men approached and demanded he get out of the car.

He drove off instead, and the gunmen fired two shots. They struck the vehicle, but the victim was unharmed.

A 30-year-old man was carjacked during an argument with two other men Monday morning. At about 10 a.m., the victim was stabbed by one of the men during the argument in the 1600 block of Louisiana Avenue, near St. Charles Avenue.

The other man got into the victim’s car and tried to drive away. The victim jumped in the vehicle to stop him — just before the carjacker crashed it. The two then fled on foot with the other assailant.

An attempted carjacking occurred in the Black Pearl neighborhood on Sunday night (Jan. 9). A 29-year-old woman was in the 100 block of Millaudon Street at about 11:40 p.m. when a man got out of his car and approached the driver’s side window.

He demanded several times that she get out of her vehicle, but she repeatedly refused. The would-be carjacker then fled.

A man was carjacked Sunday afternoon in Central City. The 43-year-old was in his car at Danneel and Toledano streets just before 2 p.m. when three carjackers boxed in his vehicle.

One punched the victim in the face and ordered him to exit his vehicle. They fled in the victim’s tan and gold 2004 Toyota van with Texas license plate NMJ 1327.

On Saturday night (Jan. 8), a woman’s car and purse were stolen while she was riding with the suspect in the 1600 block of Tchoupitoulas Street.

The 47-year-old victim was in her car with Reginald Taplin, 56, at about 8:45 p.m. when the two began fighting, the NOPD said. Her assailant threw her to the ground, took her purse and car keys, and drove off in her vehicle.

Taplin has not been apprehended, Sheriff’s Office records show. Records show he was  arrested once, in 1992, for possession of crack cocaine. He served three years’ probation, completed the court’s drug program and regularly submitted to drug tests on that charge.

On Friday afternoon (Jan. 7), a woman was carjacked in the Lower Garden District at Euterpe and Camp streets. A man got into her vehicle at about 3:15 p.m.and drove off in an unknown direction, police said.

On Thursday night (Jan. 6) in front of the High Hat Cafe on Jena and Freret streets, a 41-year-old woman was shot during an attempted carjacking. She was in her vehicle at about 8 p.m. when two women approached and told her to get out of the car.

The victim drove off. As she was fleeing, she heard two gunshots. Then she saw she had suffered a graze wound to the arm. Medical responders took her to the hospital for treatment.

Two armed women tried to steal a man’s car about 25 minutes earlier in the 5900 block of Constance Street. The 24-year-old victim was outside his car at about 7:35 p.m. when the two women approached in a dark sport utility vehicle and demanded his keys at gunpoint.

He complied, but they were unable to drive his vehicle. They then fled in the SUV.

Further details were not immediately available. Anyone with information about any of these incidents is urged to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 to leave an anonymous tip that could be eligible for a cash reward.