Hundreds of residents at the New Orleans' shelters relied on young teenage men -- commonly referred to by the media as looters -- to scavenge for food at grocery stores in the neighbourhoods surrounding the city's downtown core.

Some of the youths even commandeered New Orleans transit buses to transport people out of town.

"They are Robin Hoods, those boys. Write that down," said Qwentin Williams, 15.

The very end of a much longer story here.