Two Broad Street businesses were robbed at gunpoint last week, according to reports from the New Orleans Police Department and the Mid-City Security District.
A man entered the AutoZone on North Broad and St. Peter Street on March 7 at about 9:20 a.m., took merchandise off the shelves, and walked to the door with the items concealed. An AutoZone employee, a 20-year-old woman, confronted him, telling him to hand over the merchandise.
He then lifted his shirt to reveal a gun tucked into his waistband before fleeing the scene in black BMW.
The next day at about 6:45 a.m., the manager of the Dollar General was preparing to open the store. The door was unlocked so that other employees to enter.
A man walked in, pointed a gun at the manager and demanded cash. The manager activated a silent alarm while giving the gunman $1,650 in currency.
The robber ran out of the business and jumped on a bicycle. By that time, officers had arrived and pursued the man across the Whole Foods parking lot, where he was arrested.
The suspect, Karl Jackson, 28, remained jailed on March 14 on $107,000 bond. In addition to one count of armed robbery, Jackson faces domestic abuse battery charges. Magistrate Judge Jay Daniels ruled that Jackson not be released until he signs a restraining order.
Jackson also faces charges of animal cruelty and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sheriff’s Office records show a 2015 conviction for first-degree robbery, desecration of graves and dealing cocaine.
Further details were not immediately available. Anyone with information is urged to call the NOPD First District station at 504-658-6010 to speak to a detective, or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 to leave an anonymous tip that could be eligible for a cash reward.
