Three armed robberies reported within four hours in Central City, police say

An auto parts store was robbed at knifepoint, a pedestrian was robbed at gunpoint and a driver was carjacked within less than four hours Monday in Central City, New Orleans police said.

Around 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 19, a man walked into the Advance Auto Parts store in the 2600 block of South Claiborne and “grabbed some towels off the shelf,” according to the initial NOPD report in the case.

“The manager confronted the subject and attempted to grab the towels from him,” the report states. “The subject produced a knife and told the manager, ‘Don’t stop me.’ The manager backed away, and the subject fled out of the front door then unknown.”

Shortly before 10 a.m., a 25-year-old man was walking near Washington and Loyola avenues when he was accosted from behind by a man with a gun in his hand and an orange sweater covering the lower part of his face, according to the report in that case.

“The subject demanded the victim to empty his pockets and back away,” the report states. “The victim complied; the subject took the victim’s money and wallet and fled the location in unknown direction.”

Shortly after noon, a 22-year-old man got into his parked car at South Robertson and Second streets when three assailants approached and opened his door, according to the report in the third case.

“One subject was armed with a chrome handgun and demanded the victim get out of the vehicle,” the report states. “The victim complied; the subjects got into the victim’s 2013 Hyundai Elantra and fled on South Robertson Street in the downtown direction.”

Further details were not immediately available. Anyone with 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.