Woman booked with armed robbery

A New Orleans woman has been arrested on charges of luring a photographer to a Kenner motel room last year for a photo shoot, whereupon a friend posing as a police detective barged in and stole the victim's camera equipment.

Janell Hudson, 30, was being held Thursday in the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna, booked with armed robbery, principal to false personation of a peace officer, principal to aggravated assault, second-degree kidnapping and false imprisonment.

She is the third person arrested in the April 24, 2008, incident. Samuel Wilson, 31, and Carla Robinson, 28, pleaded guilty in March to theft and kidnapping and were placed on two years' probation, according to 24th Judicial District Court records. Wilson also pleaded guilty to false personation of a peace officer and is facing a probation revocation because he was found Oct. 13 with a gun in his New Orleans home.

In the 2008 incident, the photographer told Kenner police he was in a motel room about to begin a photo shoot with Hudson and Robinson, whom he knew as "Meoka" and "Sunshine," when Wilson knocked on the door. Wilson wore a holstered gun, a badge, a shirt, tie and slacks, clothing commonly worn by police detectives, according to the affidavit for his arrest.

Wilson told the photographer he was "in a lot of trouble" and that Meoka was underage. He aimed the gun at the photographer, according to police. The victim was handcuffed and led from the room. Wilson told him he wouldn't be arrested if he left immediately.

But the victim called 911 from the lobby, police said. When officers arrived, they found the victim's wallet, camera and camera equipment missing from the room. The photographer, who had taken photos of Hudson once before, identified all three suspects through a photo lineup....