What's happening with Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the woman she accuses of stalking her
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A judge granted New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell a temporary restraining order against a woman the mayor says is stalking her.
Why it matters: Cantrell is under scrutiny for her relationship with her bodyguard, and she's going after the source of the latest photos of the two of them.
Catch up quick: New Orleans police opened an investigation after a tipster sent photos to the Metropolitan Crime Commission of Cantrell eating a meal on the balcony of Tableau with NOPD officer Jeffrey Vappie.
- Vappie's wife accused him of having an affair with Cantrell in divorce filings in 2022.
- Cantrell and Vappie have both denied the allegations.
Driving the news: Anne Breaud was the tipster who took the photos from her balcony across the street from the restaurant, as John Simerman and Missy Wilkinson with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reported.
- The mayor, in court filings, says Breaud has "aggressively" taken photos and hundreds of hours of video of her over the past two years, NOLA.com says.
Between the lines: Breaud took the photos from her family's apartment in the same Upper Pontalba building where the mayor sometimes stayed in a city-owned apartment.
- The mayor's use of the apartment drew ire from the City Council, who eventually instructed the landlord to change the locks when the mayor wouldn't turn over the keys.
The other side: Breaud says the stalking claims are false and she's never shared photos or videos with media outlets, NOLA.com says. She also filed a counter-claim.
- She was simply on her balcony when she saw the mayor eating with Vappie and decided to take pictures, the filings say.
What's next: The temporary restraining order is in effect until June 18, when there's another hearing.
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