NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)- People headed into Atchafalaya Friday night to grab some food and send a message: we back our local business.
“Don’t give up. Don’t Surrender. We are here to support you,” Julie Henry, ate at Atchafalaya, said.
Thursday night armed robbers hit the place.
“It made me angry to be honest with you,” Stephen Alfonso, ate at Atchafalaya, stated. “We had been looking forward to coming to this restaurant for a while. So, we made sure we made it happen. Came out tonight to support them. ”
Police say the manager saw two masked men coming and quickly locked the door, but the crooks were determined to get in. They were caught on camera attacking the door.
Eventually, the armed robbers got in. They held up the place. When they got what they came for; they ran off!
“Oh my God, I was absolutely shocked. And, had this sinking feeling sick feeling that this cannot be happening again in the city we cherish so much,” Henry said.
Last month, three crooks came into Patois wearing hoodies and masks and made off with money.
Police haven’t linked the two crimes just yet.
“While we are not yet ready to say that this is connected to the Patois robbery, we obviously see the similarities,” New Orleans Police Chief Michael Harrison, stated.
Henry is worried Thursday’s robbery won’t be the last!
“Yes, I absolutely fear that it’s a trend that’s taking place, and we cannot let this happen. We need to stop it, and we need to stop it now, and we need to band together,” Henry said.
“We are going to find these people. We are going to put them in jail. We are going to bring them to justice. We are going to make sure that we keep every restaurant, every citizen, every business, safe for everyone who lives, works, and visits here in the city of New Orleans. And, we will not stop until these people are caught,” Chief Harrison stated.
Police say both robberies are under investigation. Call Crimestoppers at 822-1111 if you have any information that could help police.
