Authorities closing in as only two escapees remain at large from a 10-inmate jailbreak
Three more escapees from the recent New Orleans jailbreak were captured Monday, bringing the total number of recaptured inmates to eight. Only two men remain at large, Louisiana State Police said.
Lenton Vanburen was apprehended in Baton Rouge, roughly 72 miles northwest of New Orleans, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill on X. Leo Tate and Jermaine Donald were taken into custody in Walker County, Texas, about 330 miles west of the city, by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Vanburen was reportedly found sitting on a bench near a department store, Baton Rouge officials said.
He had been jailed on suspicion of violating parole, possessing a firearm as a felon, and illegally carrying a weapon, Murrill noted. “He will now face additional charges related to the escape,” she added.
Tate and Donald were arrested after leading police on a high-speed chase, the Huntsville Police Department said.
“The pursuit ended near US 190 and Geneva, where both subjects were taken into custody,” Huntsville police posted on Facebook.
Authorities tracked the pair after receiving leads that they were in the Houston area, according to Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair. Huntsville is about 70 miles north of Houston.
These three were the first escapees to be captured outside the New Orleans area.
The search continues for the final two fugitives, Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey, who are considered armed and dangerous. So far, 13 individuals have been arrested for allegedly helping the escapees.
Other inmates who have been recaptured include Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Dkenan Dennis, Gary Price, and Corey Boyd.
Investigators believe the inmates used electric hair trimmers and multiple clipper blades to cut through cell walls, a source with direct knowledge of the probe told CNN.
Monday’s arrests across two states mark significant progress in an escape that’s been blamed on faulty locks, stolen blankets, and even a hungry employee who may have played a role.
Attorney General Murrill and Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams visited the Orleans Justice Center last week to assist with the investigation.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has deployed at least 10 experienced auditors to the jail to dig deeper into what went wrong.
District Attorney Williams said last week that the director of the New Orleans Police Department Crime Lab had to initiate forensic work at the jail without a request from the sheriff’s office.
Williams has formally asked the sheriff’s office to cooperate by providing staff fingerprint and DNA records “for the purpose of inclusion or elimination of their profiles,” according to a letter obtained by CNN.
Another letter sent Thursday called on the sheriff’s office to preserve all records tied to the jailbreak, including surveillance footage and electronic communications.
“If you were manning the security system, you would have known a door was opening,” said former Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, who ran the jail from 2004 to 2022.
“Especially in the middle of the night,” he added.
Gusman said he’s baffled by how the inmates reached the pipe chase area behind the toilet and sink. He emphasized that the walls are about five inches thick and reinforced with steel rebar and concrete.
13 Charged with Aiding the Escape
Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker with the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, was arrested last Tuesday. He’s accused of “willfully and maliciously” helping in the escape. Williams faces one count of malfeasance in office and 10 counts of being a principal to simple escape.
His lawyer, Michael Kennedy, said Williams was simply following orders to shut off water to an overflowing toilet and maintains his client’s innocence.
At least 12 others are suspected of helping the escapees, including another inmate at the facility.
Investigators are reviewing jail phone calls and suspect more inmates or staff could be charged for assisting in the breakout or the alleged cover-up in the hours that followed, the source said.
Trevon Williams, who was already jailed on unrelated charges, was rebooked Friday for allegedly aiding the escape. Murrill confirmed the update in a post on X.
Others arrested are being charged as accessories after the fact, according to authorities.
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