By Missy Wilkinson | NOLA.com | February 3, 2022

New Orleans police responded to two carjackings that happened within five minutes of each other on Wednesday night.

In the first month of 2022, carjackings were up from 26 to 50 compared to the same period in 2021, according to data compiled by the Metropolitan Crime Commission.

In the Lower Garden District, a 26-year-old woman was parked in her white Volvo XC90/60 with a license plate reading 134BKK in the 1300 block of Magazine Street when a woman approached and demanded she exit the vehicle, police said.

The victim complied, and the carjacker fled in the car with the victim’s purse. Police responded to the call at 6:30 p.m.

Three minutes later, police responded to a carjacking attempt in Fontainebleau.

A 45-year-old man was sitting in his vehicle in the 6200 block of South Miro Street when a suspect tried to steal it, police said. The 45-year-old man fought the carjacker off, and the carjacker fled in a blue or gray SUV, police said.

No other information was immediately available.