NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Ten men executed a bold escape from a New Orleans jail early Friday morning, managing to flee through a hole behind a toilet and scale a wall while the only guard assigned to the cell pod was away retrieving food. The incident raises serious concerns about jail security and possible internal assistance from members of the sheriff’s department.
Of the ten escapees, seven, including several murder suspects, remain on the run following the jailbreak. Surveillance footage revealed the fugitives sprinting from the facility, some dressed in orange jumpsuits and others in white, as they climbed a fence using blankets to protect themselves from barbed wire. Witnesses reported seeing them cross a nearby interstate and disappear into a neighborhood.
A photograph provided to the Associated Press shows the hole behind the toilet from which the inmates escaped. Graffiti above the hole humorously reads "To Easy LoL," accompanied by an arrow pointing to the gap. The escape went unnoticed for several hours, and it was only during a routine morning headcount more than seven hours later, around 8:30 a.m., that the authorities discovered the men were missing.
According to officials, there was no deputy present in the pod during the escape; a civilian technician assigned to observe had stepped away for food. Shortly after the breakout, Kendall Myles, 20, who had a history of eluding custody, was apprehended in the French Quarter after a brief foot chase. By Friday evening, two more fugitives had been captured: Robert Moody, 21, was located in New Orleans thanks to a tip from Crimestoppers, while Dkenan Dennis was apprehended near Chef Menteur Highway.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson attributed the escape to "defective locks," voicing her ongoing concerns about the infrastructural issues at the facility. She mentioned that she had previously advocated for funding to address these problems and indicated possible assistance from individuals within her department, stating, "It's almost impossible...for anybody to get out of this facility without help." Authorities confirmed that at least one steel bar protecting plumbing fixtures appeared to have been deliberately cut.
After breaking free, the escapees quickly discarded their jail uniforms, though the means by which they obtained civilian clothing immediately after escaping remain unclear. Initially, authorities believed 11 men had escaped but later updated the count to ten after realizing one individual was in a different cell. Following the incident, three employees have been suspended as the investigation unfolds, although it remains uncertain if the employee who left to get food is among them.
The fugitives, aged between 19 and 42, are predominantly in their 20s. Derrick Groves, one of the escapees, was previously convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the 2018 Mardi Gras Day shootings. Another escapee, Corey Boyd, had pleaded not guilty to a pending second-degree murder charge. The sheriff's office is coordinating with local, state, and federal agencies in the search for these individuals.
Detectives employed facial recognition technology to swiftly identify and locate some of the fugitives, with two spotted in the French Quarter. According to Bryan LaGarde, executive director of Project NOLA, which operates a network of over 5,000 surveillance cameras in New Orleans, the fugitives were seen walking along the streets, appearing cautious.
The escape has drawn significant criticism from state and local officials. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams described the incident as a "complete failure" on the part of jail administrators, highlighting the troubling delay in notifying the authorities and public about the jailbreak. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill labeled the escape as "beyond unacceptable" and indicated that surrounding states had been alerted regarding the fugitives.
The situation at the New Orleans jail has come under scrutiny due to ongoing security problems and violence, despite federal monitoring and a consent decree aimed at improving conditions. Sheriff Hutson noted that the facility is operating at about 60% staffing capacity and faces challenges in maintaining and servicing critical systems. Jay Mallett, the chief of corrections for the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, acknowledged the need for more secure housing for high-risk inmates and indicated that plans were in motion to transfer some to more secure facilities.
