NEW ORLEANS — In July, six juvenile inmates escaped from the Bridge City Center for Youth. Police said one of them shot and carjacked a man in Uptown that day, before he was found and detained. The victim is still hospitalized and in critical condition a month and a half later.
Scott Toups' wife of 33 years, Stacie Toups, described him as an electrical foreman who loved his job, a Mardi Gras krewe member, and a father of three adult sons. He's been lying in a hospital bed as she and her family pray for his recovery.
"We've had the hard discussions," she said. "He has some moments of clarity. His nurse told me this morning that she said, 'if you can hear me, put your thumb up,' and he gave a halfhearted thumbs up."
Her husband was dropping off Mardi Gras bead donations along Nashville and Loyola around 4 p.m. on July 17, when one of six juvenile inmates who escaped from the Bridge City Center for Youth shot him twice and took his car, NOPD said. The 17-year-old suspect was caught that day.
"Not only did he shoot him twice when it was completely unnecessary because all he wanted was the car, he took the time to take the wallet out of his back pocket as he’s bleeding on the ground… he took the credit cards, left his license, business cards and then placed it back in his back pocket and then drove away. Who does that? What kind of individual? Heartless," Toups said.
Toups said District Attorney Jason Williams visited them in the hospital.
"One of the first things he said was, 'I'm going to try him as an adult,'" Toups said.
She also reached out to city hall to speak with Mayor Cantrell, who called her.
"Based on what she did the previous week, being on the side of the perpetrator, I had a question to ask and I began calling," Toups said. "I asked her, 'if invited, if given ample time, would you be there physically in the court room?' and she said, 'I'm always on the side of the victim,' I told her I could see she was dancing around the question."
With her husband still critical in the ICU, Toups waits, hopes, and prays for improvements.
"Everyone is outraged on my behalf and Scott's behalf," she said. "A miracle. All we need is a few miracles."
The New Orleans District Attorney's Office released a statement on the situation.
"The decisions made by Kendall Myles to not only escape a juvenile jail facility, but carjack and shoot a member of the elderly community near a school with children is something that we cannot allow. Myles is currently sentenced to juvenile life so there would essentially be no accountability for these egregious actions should this case remain in Juvenile Court. With that, the DA’s Office will be trying this case in Criminal District Court to ensure that Myles is appropriately held accountable."
There is a GoFundMe set up to help the family with medical expenses.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/wife-carjacking-and-shooting-victim-in-need