NEW ORLEANS (AP) 鈥 Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson says there are indications that the ten inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail "received assistance in their escape from individuals inside of our department.鈥
Authorities first noticed the 10 inmates were missing during a Friday morning headcount.
One of the inmates was captured Friday after a brief foot chase through the French Quarter, the Louisiana State Police said in a post on the social media platform X.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP鈥檚 earlier story follows below.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) 鈥 Authorities in Louisiana say they are in pursuit of nine inmates 鈥 at least one of whom is convicted of murder 鈥 who escaped from a New Orleans jail. Another inmate was captured Friday after a brief foot chase through the French Quarter, the Louisiana State Police said in a post on the social media platform X.
Authorities first noticed the 10 inmates were missing during a Friday morning headcount. Authorities initially said a total of 11 inmates had escaped but at a Friday afternoon news conference said one inmate thought to have escaped was in a different cell.
The escapees range from 19 years old to 42. Most of the men are in their 20s.
One of the fugitive inmates, Derrick Groves was convicted on two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder last year for his role in the 2018 Mardi Gras Day shootings of two men. Groves also left two other injured people 鈥減hysically and emotionally scarred" from the shooting, according to the Orleans Parish District Attorney's office, which described him as a 鈥渉einous criminal鈥 in a news release.
Groves currently faces a charge of battery against a correctional facility employee, court records show.
Another escaped inmate, Corey Boyd had pled not guilty to a pending second-degree murder charge.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said the department is actively working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to search for the escaped inmates.
鈥淲e are launching a full investigation to determine how this escape occurred, including reviewing facility protocols, staff performance and physical security measures,鈥 Hutson said. 鈥淎ny lapses or failures that contributed to this incident will be addressed swiftly and with full accountability.鈥
Investigators are focusing on an opening inside a cell through which at least one inmate is believed to have escaped into a maintenance corridor, according to one current and one former law enforcement official who were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 how they escaped,鈥 the current official said, adding investigators were reviewing surveillance footage that captured the jailbreak.
The AP obtained a photograph the current law enforcement official confirmed shows the opening in question. A former law enforcement official who worked in the jail for several years said such a small square opening would typically be covered by a sink and toilet that may have been removed in this case.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill called the escape 鈥渂eyond unacceptable" and said local authorities had waited too long to inform the public.
鈥淪omeone clearly dropped the ball and there鈥檚 no excuse for this," Murrill said in an emailed statement. 鈥淢y office will do whatever it takes to determine how this happened and make sure that it won鈥檛 happen again.鈥
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said her agency has put 鈥渁 full court effort鈥 to respond to the escape and are working with the FBI and U.S. marshals.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more than likely that someone had help and they are not running around in a jumpsuit 鈥 but if they are, you鈥檙e going to stand out,鈥 she said.
Officers were focused on identifying and providing protection for individuals who may have testified in their cases or may be in danger. One family has been 鈥渞emoved鈥 from their home, Kirkpatrick said.
鈥淚f there is anyone helping or harboring these escapees, you will be charged,鈥 Kirkpatrick added.
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Associated Press writer Jim Mustian contributed to this report.
