A video circulating on social media appears to show a suspect involved in a Wednesday morning purse snatching in the French Quarter. The incident unfolded around the same time the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) apprehended a suspect who, they say, plunged into the Mississippi River to escape.
Although the NOPD has not confirmed whether the man in the video is the same individual they apprehended, the sequence of events described by the police aligns with the footage. The alleged purse snatching took place on the 300 block of Royal Street. According to the NOPD, the suspect then fled on foot along Bienville Street towards the Mississippi River.
The NOPD reported that the incident occurred just after 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday. The suspect briefly evaded police by jumping into the river. Officers, including some not in NOPD uniform, pursued the suspect on foot. After briefly resurfacing and being identified by NOPD officers, the suspect reportedly re-entered the river.
A viral video posted on the Instagram account @empoweryounola purportedly shows the suspect swimming against the river's current, with the New Orleans Highway 90 bridge visible in the background.
An RTA ferry eventually assisted the suspect back to shore when he appeared to be struggling in the current. After being examined by EMS and determined to be uninjured, he was arrested in connection with the purse snatching.
The NOPD has not yet publicly identified the suspect. According to a recent report, burglaries in New Orleans have increased by 13% compared to 2022. Under Louisiana state law, mugshots of arrested individuals are not typically released.
