NEW ORLEANS — Three car burglary suspects were caught in the act Tuesday morning. The incident turned into an officer-involved shooting and day-long manhunt for New Orleans police.
"This hit home," said Lakeview resident Ricky Serio.
As Serio got out of morning Mass, he heard sirens and saw police cars flying down the road.
"I said 'something is going down in Lakeview,'" he said.
A few minutes later his wife called.
"She calls me frantically 'Ricky, it's going down at our house.' I'm going 'what's going down,' she goes, 'it's going down at our house," he said.
NOPD responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on Louis XIV Street. They saw three suspects in a stolen car pulling on car door handles.
"These individuals, the occupants of the vehicle then placed the vehicle in reverse, almost striking this detective. the detective then removed his service weapon and fired several shots at the vehicle that almost struck him," NOPD Supt. Shaun Ferguson said.
No one was hurt, but the suspects ran. A 17-year-old habitual offender, according to NOPD, was immediately apprehended here on Serio's driveway.
"The guys arrested on my driveway, the police cars on my lawn! I'm going 'I didn't expect this today and it's my 65th birthday," Serio said.
Shortly after, police arrested a second man.
"It's scary as a parent, as a resident," said Brian Anderson of Lakeview Crime Prevention District.
With the frequency of car burglaries, Anderson believes it was a waiting game for something more violent.
"Everybody knew it would eventually happen," he said.
Armed New Orleans police officers went door to door. Neighbors and four schools were on lock down. As of Tuesday evening, the third suspect hasn't been located.
"Time and time again we are arresting and re-arresting and re-arresting some of the same individuals," Ferguson said.
"I just hope these guys are not let out tomorrow," Serio said.
Lakefront Civic Organizations are organizing a town hall meeting for January 21 to discuss the number of car burglaries in the area. It's expected to be held at Hynes Elementary at 6:30 p.m.
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