The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- In a pre-dawn raid, more than 80 police officers and U.S. marshals rounded up 48 people wanted on domestic violence charges on Wednesday, authorities said.
The operation lasted about five hours and included New Orleans police and sheriff’s deputies, according to a statement from the office of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. There remain about 500 people wanted for domestic violence crimes in New Orleans, the statement said.
Four of the suspects arrested were women.
Wednesday’s operation failed to capture Anthony Carter, 36, wanted for shooting his wife in the leg during an argument at their eastern New Orleans home in February.
Capt. Marlon Defillo, a police spokesman, said two similar round ups took place in the last year and a half. In the other two sweeps 88 arrests were made, Defillo said.
“We want to send a message that we take it very seriously,” Defillo said. “We do plan to do more in the near future.”
Authorities believe that by cracking down on domestic violence offenders they can cut down on crime in general, Defillo said.