Police, surveillance camera easily nab carjacking suspect

N.O. man arrested minutes after crime

By Walt Philbin Staff writer

Curious police, and the alleged carelessness of a carjacking suspect, led to his capture minutes after the crime early Monday in a case that was bolstered by one of the New Orleans Police Department’s new surveillance cameras, police said. Alonzo Barnes, 18, 3127 College Court, took an SUV from a 53-year-old man and his three children about 7 a.m. in the 4800 block of Chestnut Street, and then he left it parked in front his mother’s home in the 1900 block of Sixth Street, police said.

He left the stolen car running, with a door open and music blaring, attracting the attention of two nearby officers, spokesman Sgt. Paul Accardo said.

As the police approached the car, Barnes came out of the house and got in the vehicle, apparently not seeing the officers, Accardo said. He was arrested without incident by Sgts. Kenneth Miestchovich and Ttoy Williams after they matched the license plate with that of the just-stolen van.

The victim identified Barnes as the carjacker, Aecardo said. As icing on the cake, police realized one of the city’s fixed cameras covered the front of Barnes’ mother’s home, and learned the camera had photographed him getting out of the stolen car, Aecardo said. “We could have made the case without the camera, but the evidence solidified the case,” Accardo said. Barnes was taken into federal custody on a car- jacking charge.

Police secured a search warrant of Barnes’ mother’s home and found the gun thought to have been used in the carjacking, police said.

Steven Williams, 31, was found inside the home and booked on a state charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Accardo said.

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