The following document, dated December 5, 2003, lists serious recent crimes committed by Ozanam Inn Soup Kitchen clients.

On December 3, 2003, a tourist and convention attendee named Thomas Briewick was robbed and murdered at 528 Baronne Street, four blocks from the Ozanam Inn. On December 5,2003, an Ozaman Inn regular, Lester "Shorty" Harris, was arrested and charged with Mr. Briewich's murder.

In spite of his lengthy criminal record, including convictions for cocaine possession, carrying a concealed weapon, simple escape, and an arrests for the robbery and assault of a tourist, "Shorty" was always welcome to eat and hang out at the OZ.

Now, here's another Ozanam Inn murderer, Tim Henson, 44 years old. He was a regular who ate and hung out at OZ. He was usually seen there with a caucasian male and caucasian female friend. On November 6, 2003 he confessed to the murder on September 2, 2003 of Kanako Ohyama, a young female visitor from Japan. Tim had a lenghty criminal record for Kidnapping, Rape, and Escape, but was always welcome to eat and hang out at the OZ.

If Oz acted responsibly, using any kind of records or background check, perhaps more tourists would be alive today. Oz's soup kitchen lures criminals into our neighborhood. OZ enables, feeds and supports them, giving them a place to hide out while planning and committing serious crimes.

How much crime must we suffer in our neighborhood before elected officials becomes willing to help us close the Ozanam Inn. So-called "Homeless Advocates" pretend that no crime is caused by OZ clients. All the while, they ignoring hard documentation regarding the persons who are drawn into the neighborhood by OZ's soup kitchen operation.

• 1. 10/10/03, the "homeless person" with the $50,000 of drugs in his back pack was at Ozanam Inn that morning, one-half (1/2) hour prior to his arrest four (4) blocks away. Is $50,000 worth of drugs serious?

• 2. 10/13/03, two UNO students, working on a school project, attempted to photograph the Ozanam Inn and vacant buildings next door. An African-American male emerged from the gate at the Ozanam Inn and immediately began to attack and threaten these young women, both orally and physically, demanding that they cease taking pictures of these buildings. After subjecting this young, African-American female student to verbal abuse, including incredibly vile obscenities, and threats of physical harm, he attempted to take her camera and destroy it. (NOPD called 10/13/03, 2:27 p.m.; NOPD never arrived). If this were your young daughter, would you consider it a serious incident instead of just a nuisance?

• 3. 10/19/03, assault incident occurs, Police Report, Item Number J-32215, when the "so called homeless persons" (social deviants) assembled by Loyola University attacked, threatened, and cursed the citizens of the neighborhood when we attempted to exercise our rights to use our park and public space.
  Just another little nuisance problem? Have the police become so removed from the real world that you can not recall what it's like to be an unarmed, tax paying, property owning citizen?

• 4. 10/23/03, car-jacking and shooting in 800 Camp Street on 10/23/03 at 4:30 p.m. An Ozanam Inn client was shot in a parking lot by the woman whose car he tried to carjack. Three of our neighbors had recently seen the man hanging out at OZ, and in Lafayette Square Park waiting for the Loyola students to pass out free food.
  DeFillo was present as we spoke that afternoon while the bloody clothes were still on the pavement in the alley. How in the world can he minimize this incident and keep a straight face?

• 5. 10/26/03, 8:14 a.m., other assault. T-P 11/01/03, Section B, Page 3, N.O. Incident Reports. I am unfamiliar with the details of this particular assault on my block, but Captain Defillo could get us the police report.

• 6. 11/08/03, 10:30 p.m., Vehicle break-in, theft of contents, purse snatching, assault. Same parking lot in 800 Camp Street where car-jacker shot. See broken car window glass on ground of parking lot Sunday morning 10:30 a.m.

• 7. 12/03/03, Tourist and convention attendee, Thomas Briewick, murdered at 528 Baronne Street, four blocks from the Ozanam Inn. T-P 12/04/03, Section B, Page 2. On December 5,2003, an Ozaman Inn regular, Lester "Shorty" Harris, was arrested and charged with Mr. Briewich's murder. In spite of his lengthy criminal record, including convictions for cocaine possession, carrying a concealed weapon, simple escape, and an arrests for the robbery and assault of a tourist, "Shorty" was always welcome to eat and hang out at the OZ.

However, it's the soup kitchen clients and the criminals hanging out in side yard that cause the trouble. Check any other shelter in New Orleans; no other place is run as badly as OZ. What will it take to wake people up to the true impact of the OZ soup kitchen?

The crimes listed above are serious crimes. Who is covering up for the Catholic Church and Ozanam Inn?

Most of the people fed at the Ozanam Inn are serious social deviates. They are not the innocent homeless or the working poor. We will no longer tolerate abuse by Ozanam Inn sponsored deviants.

Make phone calls; speak with your friends and acquantiances; write letters to the editors and news directors; make your opinions known. Close Oz NOW!

Louis E. "Lee" Madere, Jr.
Acting Director
Camp & Julia Coalition to Close OZ
842 Camp Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 504-259-5087