The Suspect's Vehicle

By Mary-Devon Dupuy

This morning, Frenchmen St. regulars got more excitement than they bargained for with their morning coffees. A car chase turned into a car crash outside of Café Rose Nicaud, followed by a pedestrian chase around the block. According to witnesses, the driver was escaping police after a woman in the 2000 block of Burgundy called to report the suspect publicly masturbating in his vehicle.

Marigny resident, Ken Caron witnessed the chase at 9:30am, sitting outside of Café Rose Nicaud. “I could hear the sirens, then I see the car speeding the wrong way down Frenchmen,” Caron said. “Then he [the suspect] jumped out of the car, and I realized what was going on.”

According the NOPD's Public Information Office, the suspect is 29 year old Trevis Berber. Berber has been previously arrested for 17 Felonies, and was wanted in Saint Mary Parish for Simple Battery and Sexual Battery before today's incident. 

According to Caron, the suspect initially ran down the driveway of Christopher Inn before continuing down Royal, near the intersection of Royal and Frenchmen. Caron was walking his dog on the Christopher Inn side of Royal St. when he assisted police in detaining the suspect.

“He ran towards me, and he paused and looked at me with fear in his eyes. He realized he couldn’t run anywhere, so I pushed him, and he kind of got off balance.”

After Caron temporarily immobilized the suspect, police detained the man. Caron said that his friends in the neighborhood were relieved to know the man was no longer free to publicly engage in lewd behavior.

“My neighbor thanked me. She said the man followed her before.”

According to the NOPD's statement, a similar crime was reported in the area a few days ago. Police are currently determining whether or not  Barber was also responsible for that incident. The NOPD asks that anyone with information that can help solve this crime call CRIMESTOPPERS at 822-1111.  

The casualties of the crash were two minivans, the most damaged belonging to Snug Harbor owner Jason Patterson. His wife Sylvia Patterson observed the whole incident and mused on the bizarre event.

“My husband has been in California, and his car has been parked there for weeks with no problems. He’s coming back tonight, and this happens,” Patterson said. Patterson’s parked blue minivan was struck so hard by the suspect’s vehicle that it damaged the green minivan behind it. No one was physically harmed in the incident.

This story was updated at 5:09pm, after the NOPD issued a public statement this afternoon.