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The daughter of a woman who lost her life in a 2018 carjacking incident in New Orleans has voiced concerns that the city is still not adequately addressing crime. Her comments come as the Trump administration plans to deploy federal agents to New Orleans.
Jeannot Plessy, aged 49, was tragically killed in November 2018 when two men carjacked her vehicle while she was attempting to collect her children, as reported by FOX 8. The attackers, Jontrell Robinson, 18, and Edwin Cottrell, 19, avoided a second-degree murder trial by pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with Plessy’s death.
Robinson received a 30-year prison sentence, while Cottrell was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.
The incident unfolded when Robinson forcefully removed Plessy from her car and took the driver’s seat, as Cottrell and other teenagers waited in another stolen minivan nearby. Plessy’s 33-year-old son-in-law heard her screams and attempted to intervene, prompting Robinson to recklessly reverse the vehicle.
Jeannot Plessy’s life was tragically cut short during a carjacking attempt in 2018. (Nadia Sanchez)
Robinson ran over Plessy when he backed the car up, killing Plessy.
Both Cottrell and Robinson also pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, two counts of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, simple robbery, conspiracy to commit simple robbery and unauthorized use of a movable.
As federal immigration officials prepare to enter New Orleans as part of operation “Swamp Sweep,” Plessy’s daughter, Nadia Sanchez, told Fox News Digital she doesn’t believe the city has gotten a grasp on violent crime.
Edwin Cotrell avoided a second-degree murder trial by pleading guilty to manslaughter. (Orleans Justice Center jail)
“I don’t think the city or elected officials took the necessary actions or took crime seriously enough. Their focus was on other priorities — mainly tourism — while residents and their concerns took a back seat,” Sanchez said. “I don’t think much has changed in how the city deals with crime.”
“There hasn’t been much focus on the victims and their experience. Residents are the ones who live with the consequences every day,” she added.
Sanchez said she never felt unsafe in her neighborhood until her mother was killed.
Jontrell Robinson pleaded guilty to manslaughter in relation to the carjacking. (Orleans Justice Center jail)
“We didn’t have safety concerns. I walked my daughter to the playground every day after school. I never felt like we lived in a dangerous neighborhood — until it happened to us,” Sanchez said.
However, she doesn’t know if federal intervention is the solution to New Orleans’ problem, saying it would be a “band-aid measure” to the issue, but said city officials need to prioritize public safety.
Operation “Swamp Sweep” is expected to begin in early December and will reportedly be aimed at arresting 5,000 people in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi.
Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he has been working with federal officials regarding immigration and crime matters.
“We do know that New Orleans is a place under which we’ve had illegal criminal activity, alien activity, in and around that city. Chief Conley, who is the chief of police from Kenner, has consistently had problems with illegal aliens conducting very violent crime in and around the city, in his city, and has been consistently working with the feds to try to crack that down,” Landry told Fox News.