NEW ORLEANS — A manhunt is underway in New Orleans after 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center early Friday morning — and nine remain unaccounted for.
Authorities now believe the group had help from inside the facility.
“We have the indication that these detainees received assistance in their escape from inside our department,” Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said during a press conference. “It’s almost impossible — not completely — but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help from the outside.”
One of the escapees, Kendell Myles, was apprehended Friday afternoon in the French Quarter, hiding beneath a car in a hotel parking garage. Myles is charged with attempted second-degree murder, ABC News reports.
Initial reports indicated that 11 men had escaped, but officials later clarified one of the inmates had recently been moved to another cell and was mistakenly included in the count.
Who are the escaped inmates?
The nine inmates still at large include four men charged with second-degree murder: Corey Boyd, Lenton Vanburen Jr., Jermaine Donald and Derrick Groves.
Authorities said the inmates broke the locks on a cell door at 12:23 a.m., exited through a wall behind a toilet by 1:01 a.m., and used a loading door to leave the property. From there, they scaled the perimeter wall and accessed nearby railroad tracks and the interstate.
The breach wasn’t discovered until a routine headcount at 8 a.m. on May 16. The New Orleans Police Department was notified at 10:30 a.m.
Sheriff said ‘defective locks’ are to blame
Hutson pointed to faulty infrastructure as a key factor in the escape.
“These folks that were able to get out did so because of defective locks on the cells,” she said. “There’s no way people can get out of this facility without some lapse. We intend to find out exactly what happened.”
The sheriff’s office said 36 staff members and four supervisors were on duty at the time of the escape. The incident has renewed calls for urgent repairs and increased staffing at the Orleans Justice Center, with Hutson noting the jail needs $5.2 million just to replace the locks.
The FBI has joined the investigation and is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of any of the escapees.
Protective measures in place
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said potential victims of the inmates’ prior offenses have been moved to safety. She also urged witnesses in those cases to take precautions.
Hutson said her office is working with local, state and federal agencies in a “full-scale search operation.”
“We are launching a full investigation to determine how this escape occurred, including reviewing facility protocols, staff performance and physical security measures,” she said. “Anyone who helped these inmates escape will be held accountable.”
It is predictable that inmates will try to escape from jail, but through officer teamwork, it is preventable. In this tip, risk management expert and Lexipol co-founder Gordan Graham discusses what that teamwork should entail.
This article, originally published May 16 at 1:15 p.m., has been updated to reflect that 10 inmates escaped along with additional information.
