NEW ORLEANS — The husband of a New Orleans man who was murdered during a morning walk from his St. Roch home says police have identified a person of interest wanted for questioning for the killing.
The New Orleans Police Department says it wants to question a bicyclist who was last seen near a victim just minutes before he was killed on March 3 in the 2200 block of North Claiborne Avenue.
Although the police department did not identify that victim, the time and place of the shooting match the shooting death of 43-year-old Pawel Antosik. His husband, Anthony Bonal, told WWL-TV that Antosik would often go on walks from his St. Roch home when he could not sleep.
Police describe the person of interest as a black man with a dark green coat, black hat, hooded jacket and tan boots. He was last seen fleeing the scene of the shooting northbound on Marigny Street on a blue bicycle.
The NOPD said the person of interest is not wanted for the shooting, but investigators believe he knows information vital to the murder investigation.
Originally from Poland, Antosik called New Orleans home for almost 10 years. He became a U.S. citizen last year and he and his husband had plans for the future.
“It just feels empty. You had your whole life planned ahead of you, of what you thought your life was going to be and all of sudden that’s gone,” Bonal said.
Antosik survived being shot three times while riding his bike in 2016. Even after that shooting, he was committed to staying in New Orleans.
“He told me ‘Anthony, even though I almost died I love the city. I love the people. I love the culture. I do not want to leave,’” Bonal said.
Just over a week before Antosik was killed, Bonal said a woman had been shot in the neighborhood. He replied to the NOPD and Mayor Latoya Cantrell on Twitter, pleading for more police presence.
Anyone with information about the shooting or the person of interest is asked to call NOPD homicide detective Christopher Puccio at 504-658-5300. They can also report information anonymously to Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
