New Orleans police are asking the public for help finding two men wanted in connection with an armed robbery on Texas Drive in Algiers earlier this month. Investigators say 23-year-old Khambren Williams and 19-year-old Jesus Ramirez Bernardez attacked a victim from behind while the person was walking in the 3200 block of Texas Drive on September 3, then fled the scene in a car after taking the victim's property.
According to WDSU, the New Orleans Police Department has identified Williams and Bernardez as the suspects and issued arrest warrants for both men following the September 3 incident. The station's report, citing investigators, states the pair were armed with an unknown weapon when they confronted the victim on the block before speeding off. In a notice seeking help locating suspects, NOPD News provided demographic details, describing one suspect as a Black male born August 3, 2003, and another as a Hispanic male born January 1, 2007.
What Suspects Could Face If Caught
Armed robbery under Louisiana law carries steep consequences. Per the Louisiana State Legislature, the offense is defined as taking anything of value from another person through force or intimidation while armed with a dangerous weapon, and it carries a mandatory sentence of 10 to 99 years at hard labor without the possibility of parole, probation, or a suspended sentence. If investigators determine a firearm was the weapon used, state code adds another layer of exposure: FindLaw notes that Louisiana Revised Statutes § 14:64.3 mandates an additional five years at hard labor, served consecutively and without parole eligibility. Williams and Bernardez are identified as suspects in the case.
A Corridor With a Troubled Recent History
The area near Texas Drive has been the subject of a recent violent-crime report. Hoodline previously covered a violent home attack near Texas Drive.
NOPD Fourth District detectives are investigating the case. Hoodline has also reported on other recent armed robbery manhunts across the city, including a nighttime holdup manhunt on Tulane Avenue.
Citywide Robbery Numbers Trending Down
Crime figures cited in coverage cover different totals and periods.
The Metropolitan Crime Commission of New Orleans has a crime-trends page dated September 13.
How to Help
NOPD Fourth District detectives can be reached directly at 504-658-6040 with any information on the whereabouts of Williams or Bernardez. Tipsters who prefer to stay anonymous can also contact Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111, through its toll-free line at 1-877-903-STOP, or online at crimestoppersgno.org. Crimestoppers can be contacted through those channels.
