A 14-year-old male juvenile was arrested in connection to several robberies that occurred in downtown New Orleans and on St. Ann Street in the French Quarter in November and December, according to New Orleans Police on Tuesday.
The first incident occurred Nov. 24, shortly after 7:30 a.m. in the 600 block of St. Ann Street where the juvenile, who wasn’t identified because of his age, held a victim at gunpoint while an adult accomplice, identified as 23-year-old Joseph Ruffin, took their wallet and other personal items, according to New Orleans Police.
Ruffin was later arrested that same day and booked into Orleans Parish Justice Center on suspicion of illegal possession of stolen things, possession of marijuana, possession of counterfeit cocaine and two armed robbery-related charges, records show.
The second incident occurred later that day, on Nov. 24, when the juvenile allegedly followed a female victim into a parking garage in the 900 block of Girod Street.
The juvenile implied he had a gun by holding his hand in his jacket pocket and demanded property from the victim, who surrendered her keys and purse, according to New Orleans Police, adding the juvenile fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle.
A third robbery incident occurred on Dec. 4 around 9 a.m. when a 78-year-old female victim was walking in the parking garage in the 400 block of O’Keefe Street where she noticed the juvenile was allegedly following her.
The victim was able to get into her vehicle and exited the garage before interacting with the suspect, according to New Orleans Police.
Then, in a separate incident, the male juvenile entered a stairwell of the parking garage where he allegedly encountered another female victim, grabbed her hair and demanded her car keys.
The male juvenile allegedly took the victim’s purse and emptied its contents before assaulting her, causing her to fall. The juvenile kicked the victim while she laid on the ground, according to New Orleans Police.
After exiting the stairwell, the male juvenile saw the first victim standing outside her vehicle and attempting to pay to get out of the lot.
The juvenile pulled the victim away from her vehicle and drove off with it, breaking the control arm as he sped away, according to New Orleans Police.
New Orleans Police later located the vehicle at a motel in the Seventh District, where the male juvenile was found and apprehended. He was allegedly still in possession of the keys to the stolen vehicle.
Officers conducted a search warrant of room at the location, where evidence of each incident was recovered, according to New Orleans Police.