A routine stop for gas turned into an armed carjacking near Tremé early Wednesday, when a man was confronted at the pump and forced to surrender his vehicle. The suspect reportedly had a gun, turning a quiet overnight fuel stop into a police search for leads.
The carjacking happened just before 1 a.m. at a gas station on Orleans Avenue, according to WDSU. Police said the suspect approached the victim while he was pumping gas, displayed a firearm and took the car.
No suspect description, vehicle details or arrest were included in the initial report. The New Orleans Police Department is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact investigators or submit an anonymous tip through Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at (504) 822-1111, according to the City of New Orleans.
Gas-Station Carjackings Have Hit New Orleans Before
The setting echoes another recent case in which a man pumping gas in the Bayou St. John area was allegedly held at gunpoint and lost his Acura. That earlier gas-station attack involved a different neighborhood and suspect description, but it underscored how quickly drivers can become targets while standing outside their vehicles.
For now, the Orleans Avenue investigation remains open, with police looking for witnesses, surveillance footage and other information that could identify the gunman. Anyone who saw something around the gas station shortly before 1 a.m. is urged to pass it along rather than assume someone else already did, WDSU reported.
