The New Orleans Police Department arrested 17-year-old Morris Smith, 18-year-old Taman Martin, 19-year-old Darrel Quinn and 20-year-old Tevin Quinn and recovered two firearms Sunday night following a spree of armed robberies in the Uptown neighborhood near Audubon Park. The armed robberies began Dec. 22 and continued Sunday, leading police to begin patrolling the area, where they identified the described vehicle. The suspects were apprehended after a police chase.

The first robbery took place at approximately 8:55 p.m. on Dec. 22 on Henry Clay Avenue approaching Coliseum Street. Two men, one armed with a gun, approached a 45-year-old man while he was walking. One of the suspects struck the victim in the neck before demanding his property. After relinquishing his property, the victim was ordered to lie on the ground while one of the suspects searched him. The suspect discovered a concealed firearm and took it before fleeing the area.  

The Sunday robberies began at approximately 6:11 p.m on the 5100 block of Camp Street. Two unknown men, one of whom was armed with a gun, assaulted a 28-year-old man. The man relinquished his wallet, and the two unknown men fled in a 2007 Toyota 4Runner.

At approximately 6:24 p.m. later that evening, a 53-year-old woman and 56-year-old man were unloading groceries from their vehicle when three unknown men armed with guns approached them in the 7000 block of Camp Street. The unknown men demanded that the man and women relinquish their possessions. The woman’s cell phone was snatched from her hands and the man gave up his phone and wallet. The unknown men continued to search through the 56-year-old man’s pockets for change while another unknown man searched the vehicle. The men then fled in an unknown vehicle.

The string of robberies continued at approximately 6:45 p.m. A 62-year-old female was walking with her groceries in the 5100 block of Willow Street when three unknown men approached her, demanding her property. The woman attempted to flee but was caught and pushed to the ground. She began to scream, causing the men to flee in a Toyota 4Runner.

At 7:00 p.m., a 31-year-old man was walking to his residence on the 2100 block of Fern Street when two unknown men exited a vehicle and instructed him to get on the ground. The man complied and the unknown men took his cell phone and wallet, then fled in a Toyota 4Runner.

NOPD began patrolling the area and found a vehicle matching the description near South Claiborne and Louisiana avenues. The officers attempted to stop the vehicle, ensuing a pursuit that ended at the intersection of Loyola Avenue and Jena Street. The four suspects fled the vehicle on foot, and two were observed carrying handguns. The suspects were later apprehended by NOPD with the assistance of a K-9 unit.

The vehicle was later identified as a 2007 Toyota 4Runner that had been reported stolen on Dec. 17 on the 1200 block of Joseph Street.

All four suspects were charged with multiple counts of armed robbery and one count of attempted simple robbery for the events on Sunday. Two suspects were also charged for armed robbery, possession of a stolen firearm and possession of stolen things for the Dec. 22 robbery.

Detectives are currently in the process of determining the four men’s involvements in other area robberies.