After two alleged sex crimes in as many days in City Park, the New Orleans Police Department released an image of a vehicle of interest on Tuesday that may have a connection to at least one of the incidents.
According to police, the vehicle is described as either a light brown or gold older-model sedan with a temporary license plate and could have been involved in an attempted abduction of a female jogger at the intersection of Wisner Boulevard and Mirabeau Avenue on Sunday.
Have you seen this car?
The suspect is described as an adult Hispanic male, possibly in his late 20s or early 30s, with an average build standing at about 5’7” to 5’8” with chin-length hair.
Police said a man exited a vehicle and grabbed her. She fought back, and the suspect fled the scene in a white and gold vehicle, police said.
A second incident, not yet connected to the first, occurred on Monday night and also involved a female jogger. This incident resulted in the alleged rape of the victim near Wisner Blvd and Zachary Taylor Drive just after 9 p.m.
Again, there has been no evidence that the sedan or the suspect described had any involvement in the second incident.
Security expert Chief Reginald Rowe and owner of SEAL Security, says security at City Park needs to be beefed up. "They should have static checkpoints with either security or local park police to make sure there's a presence that's there," he said.
NOPD said, "The third district have stepped up our patrols in the area." The department is also urging women to be vigilant, even suggesting women take self-defense classes. Angel Lia Spitale is a sexual assault survivor. She turned her trauma into her protection.
Now Teaching self-defense to give women the tools to protect themselves, she said, "I recommend boxing... it is a very quick three-punch combo."
She went on to say, "With martial arts, it's giving you that courage to use these tools under crappy situations."
Her suggestion is to carry a flashlight at all times.
Here are some safety tips for women joggers/walkers and others from NOPD:
- Run with a buddy
- Always carry your phone
- Enable emergency features on your watch (if applicable)
- Stay aware of your surroundings
- Do not use earbuds or headphones
- Stick to populated areas
- Know the area for quick escape
- Ping your location to quickly share if necessary
- Take a self-defense class
Police are urging anyone with information that could assist in identifying this vehicle or the suspect to contact the NOPD Special Victims Division at 504-658-5523 or to report information anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP.
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