Five unidentified men are wanted by New Orleans police after they allegedly slammed a man to the ground and robbed him on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning. The victim was walking back to his hotel in the French Quarter when the group approached him near the 200 block of Bourbon Street, threw him down, and stripped him of his belongings before scattering into the pre-dawn streets.
According to WDSU, the robbery occurred around 6 a.m. in the 200 block of Bourbon Street, a stretch of the French Quarter’s main tourist strip. Police say the five men approached the victim, slammed him to the ground, robbed him, and then fled the scene. The New Orleans Police Department confirmed it is searching for all five men in connection with the attack.
What Charges Could the Suspects Face?
Louisiana law treats the alleged conduct as a serious felony regardless of whether a weapon was involved. Under Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:65, simple robbery — defined as taking anything of value from another person by force or intimidation without a dangerous weapon — carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison, a fine of up to $3,000, or both, according to the Louisiana State Legislature.
The charges could escalate significantly if investigators determine the force used to throw the victim to the ground caused serious bodily injury. In that case, Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:64.4 allows prosecutors to pursue second-degree robbery charges, which carry a mandatory sentence of three to 40 years in prison at hard labor, per Sudduth & Associates. It’s unclear whether the suspects were armed during the encounter, a detail investigators will need to establish before deciding which charges to pursue.
Eighth District Officers Patrol From a Block Away
The robbery took place just steps from the NOPD’s Eighth District station, which sits at 334 Royal Street — about one block from the site of the attack. The station operates around the clock and takes tips at 504-658-6080, according to NOPD News…