Prison Escape in New Orleans
As of 3:06 PM, nine inmates are still on the run after an escape from a New Orleans prison early Friday. Initially reported as 11 escaping, it seems that only 10 actually fled, with just one prisoner captured so far.
Interestingly, the name Keith Lewis was mistakenly included in the initial count of escapees. Sheriff Susan Hutson clarified that he had only been transferred to the facility and was not amongst those who fled.
According to Fox 8, pictures have emerged showing holes in the prison walls where the inmates allegedly broke through. Around these holes, various messages were scrawled, including phrases like, “catch us when we can,” “we are innocent,” and some colorful language.
Sheriff Hutson indicated that such an escape would have been impossible without some level of assistance. The authorities are now investigating the matter, suspecting that internal help might have been involved.
Video surveillance suggests that supplies may have been smuggled through the dock door where deliveries are made to the prison. Hutson also mentioned that the tools necessary to create such holes would probably require access that inmates typically wouldn’t have.
The charges against the escapees are serious, ranging from illegal weapon possession to murder, which raises concerns about their potential danger to the public. The identified suspects include:
- Antoine Massey – domestic abuse, theft, rape
- Renton Benren – illegal weapon transport
- Leotate – robbery, illegal weapon transport
- Kendel Miles – weapon cover-up
- Derrick Groves – murder, attempted murder
- Jermaine Donald – murder, aggravated battery
- Corey Boyd – murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery
- Gary Price – three counts of attempted murder
- Robert Moody
- Dkenan Dennis
At around 10:30 AM, a thorough manhunt began as news broke of the escape. Although two inmates were apprehended shortly after, nine remained at large. The Orleans Justice Center was put on lockdown in response to the incident.
Reports indicated that the missing inmates were discovered around 8:30 AM local time, prompting an urgent search by the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office along with state law enforcement.
- Antoine Massey
- Renton Van Bren
- Jermaine Donald
- Leotate
- Kendel Miles
- Derrick Groves
- Corey Boyd
- Gary Price
- Robert Moody
- Decanon Dennis
- Keith Lewis
By 11:30 AM, law enforcement had successfully captured Miles, 20, along with another unidentified fugitive in the French Quarter after a brief chase.
Sheriff Hutson has urged the public to remain vigilant as a comprehensive search operation involves cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. New Orleans Police Principal Anne Kirkpatrick confirmed that the escape had raised significant concerns.
“We don’t want to cause panic, but we urge people to be cautious,” she stated.
Following this incident, Sheriff Hutson described the escape as a grave situation and pledged a thorough investigation into how it transpired, including a review of security protocols and staff conduct.
“We will hold anyone accountable who assisted in this escape,” she emphasized. The prison remains on lockdown, while systematic reviews of security measures continue.
