NEW ORLEANS — The manhunt for car burglary suspects in Lakeview Tuesday left many people trapped inside their homes throughout the day as police patrolled the area. People inside the search zone were asked to stay inside and no one was allowed into the area.
Several of the people who spoke with WWLTV said they never expected this kind of crime to happen in broad daylight, and it has left a sense of fear.
One neighbor who lives off Bragg Street told WWLTV she saw police arrest the first suspect after she heard screaming in her back alley. Prior to the commotion, she heard gunshots that she initially believed were fireworks.
“I heard scuffling in the gravel and profanity screamed,” said the neighbor who asked not to be identified. “So out of fear I went back inside and closed myself in the house.”
The manhunt forced that neighbor and others to stay inside their houses for hours. Down the street, a young mother and her infant were home alone. Family members attempted to join them for protection, but police would not allow people past the barricade.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s so frightening,” said father-in-law Richard Enright. “I get a call that said she thought she heard something on the roof so I've been standing here because I can see the roof from here.”
Meanwhile, four schools were placed on lockdown in the morning, and two were locked down again in the afternoon after another suspect was apprehended in the area.
Lisa Mosca came early to pick her up son at the end of the first lockdown.
“I figured its fine and they've contained the area but I figured I missed him and I wanted to grab him,” said Mosca.
A long line of parents waited for their kids to be released from a lockdown inside of St. Dominic’s Elementary, six blocks away from a manhunt that took place in the afternoon. When the students were released around 4 p.m., many parents hurried to get home safely.
“You send your kids to school and think they are safe, and they are,” said grandfather Blaise Trepagnier. “But you try to protect them from the real world and then you find out its because it’s kids who should be in school getting educated to not do things like this.”
A 17-year-old suspect was captured earlier Tuesday after an officer opened fire at a stolen car driving at him in Lakeview, New Orleans Police Department officials said.
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