- The Great Escape: Ten inmates broke out of a New Orleans jail.
- Hole in the Wall: They escaped through a hole behind a toilet. Seriously.
- Manhunt: Seven are still on the loose, including suspects charged with serious crimes.
- Inside Job?: The sheriff suspects someone on the inside helped them.
- Defective Locks: The sheriff also blames faulty locks that she’s been complaining about for ages.
The Audacious Escape: How They Did It
Imagine this: it’s late at night in the Orleans Justice Center. A lone guard is away getting food (of all things!). Ten inmates seize their chance. They’ve already created a hole behind a toilet in their cell. According to reports, the hole even had a message scrawled above it: “To Easy LoL” with an arrow pointing at the gap. Talk about adding insult to injury!
They squeeze through the hole, scale a wall, and use blankets to avoid the barbed wire. Then, they sprint across a nearby interstate and disappear into the night. This is some serious Hollywood-level stuff!
Who Are These Guys?
The escapees range in age from 19 to 42, and they aren’t exactly choir boys. One of them, Derrick Groves, was convicted of *two* counts of second-degree murder! Another, Corey Boyd, is facing a second-degree murder charge. These are not the kind of guys you want running around your neighborhood.
The Blame Game: Who’s Responsible?
Sheriff Susan Hutson is pointing fingers, and she’s not holding back. She claims the jail has “defective locks” and that she’s been begging officials for money to fix them. She also suspects someone *inside* the department helped the inmates escape.
“It’s almost impossible… for anybody to get out of this facility without help,” she said.
District Attorney Jason Williams is equally furious, blasting the sheriff’s office for taking hours to notify authorities and the public. He called it a “complete failure” and said it put lives in danger.
The Manhunt: Cops on the Hunt
Law enforcement is pulling out all the stops to find the fugitives. They’re using facial recognition technology and working with local, state, and federal agencies.
One fugitive, Kendall Myles, 20, was caught after a foot chase in the French Quarter. Two more were captured later that day. But seven are still out there, and the clock is ticking.
A Jail in Turmoil: Not the First Time
This isn’t the first time the New Orleans jail has been in the news for the wrong reasons. For over a decade, it’s been under federal monitoring due to security problems and violence. Even after the new Orleans Justice Center opened in 2015, problems persisted.
The jail is reportedly understaffed and lacking the resources to fix basic infrastructure issues, like broken doors and locks. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right?
What’s Next?
The investigation is ongoing, and three employees have been suspended. Authorities are urging anyone with information about the escapees to come forward. Let’s hope they catch the remaining fugitives soon, before anyone gets hurt. This whole situation is a mess, and it raises serious questions about security and management at the New Orleans jail.