Mass jailbreak in New Orleans prison: 10 inmates escape with inside help, one already captured

Ten inmates escaped during Friday morning from the Orleans Parish Justice Center, which is one of the most important prisons in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photos released by the sheriff's office showed the inside of the cell where authorities confirmed the escape occurred and where a huge hole the inmates opened behind the toilet could be seen. On the wall above it, the criminals, at least four of whom have been charged with murder or attempted murder, wrote phrases such as "We Innocent" and "Too Easy LOL".

A few minutes after the confirmation of the escape, Sheriff Susan Hutson revealed through a statement that the 10 prisoners would have had the help of people "inside of our department". Likewise, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill wrote on her X account, "Someone clearly dropped the ball and there’s no excuse for this. I’m in communication with Troop NOLA and @LAStatePolice Superintendent Colonel Hodges. It’s all hands on deck. The first priority in any escape must be the immediate capture of the inmates and coordination with state and local law enforcement — but that effort cannot come at the expense of timely notification to the public, which is also critical to keeping communities safe. My office will do whatever it takes to determine how this happened and make sure that it won’t happen again. I am calling for a full investigation – This is beyond unacceptable, and once these offenders are back in custody, there must be real accountability."

A first fugitive has already been captured

At a press conference, the deputy chief of the Bureau of Field Operations, Christopher Goodly, explained that lthe 10 men were to be considered armed and dangerous. He also revealed that the inmates who escaped were Antoine Massey, Lenton Vanburen, Leo Tate, Kendell Myles, Derrick Groves, Jermain Donald, Corey Boyd, Gary Price, Robert Moody and Decannon Dennis.

A few minutes after the press conference, Hutson released a statement noting that one of the fugitives (Myles) had been captured by authorities after he was found hiding under a vehicle in the parking lot of the Monteleone Hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Regarding the incident, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, wrote on his X account, "Thank you to Troop NOLA for their diligence and speed in apprehending the first escapee. To the other 9: YOU ARE NEXT! @OrleansParishSO and @SheriffHutson must be working in total conjunction with Troop NOLA. There is no time to waste!"