Two masked men shattered a passenger-side window with a hammer and carjacked a woman at gunpoint in the Bayou St. John neighborhood late Friday, police said. The New Orleans robbery happened on the 2700 block of D'Abadie Street shortly after 11 p.m., and the suspects sped off in the victim’s light-blue 2020 Toyota Corolla. The case remains under investigation, as reported by WDSU.
What police say
According to WDSU, the New Orleans Police Department said the suspects were two men dressed in all black. They allegedly used a hammer to smash the car’s passenger-side window, then put a gun to the woman's head and ordered her out of the vehicle. Police said the men then fled the scene in her 2020 light-blue Toyota Corolla. The incident remains under investigation.
Bayou St. John context
Bayou St. John is no stranger to carjackings. Neighbors previously told FOX 8 that multiple carjackings unfolded in the area within a single 24-hour period, rattling residents and prompting calls for more police patrols. Those earlier incidents had locals urging extra caution around parking spots near the bayou, where long-time residents say the usually quiet streets can feel suddenly exposed when armed thieves strike.
Carjacking is a serious offense
The City of New Orleans' crime classification materials list carjacking among offenses that can expose defendants to decades of prison time, reflecting that the law treats taking a vehicle by force as a violent crime. That status influences how cases are prioritized by investigators and helps guide when vehicle pursuits may be authorized by the NOPD.
How to report and stay safe
Anyone with information, including home-security or dashcam video, is asked to contact Crimestoppers GNO at 504-822-1111 or submit an anonymous tip online. Residents are urged to keep vehicles locked, avoid leaving valuables in plain sight and preserve any relevant security footage for investigators.
