Ten prisoners have escaped through a from a New Orleans jail early Friday morning.
Authorities from the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office said they are now in a manhunt and raising serious concerns about security breaches and possible internal assistance.
It said the prisoners began to escape around 12:22am when they tampered with a cell door.
Surveillance footage later showed them entering the compromised cell and slipping through a hole in the wall behind a toilet.
They pasded through a loading dock, jumped over a barbed-wire fence using blankets, and fled using a nearby railroad tracks and Interstate 10.
“We have made progress,” said Orleans Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, adding that three of the escapees have since been captured.
She said Kendell Myles, facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, was found hiding under a vehicle in a French Quarter hotel garage.
The second Robert Moody was arrested later that day, although officials have not disclosed further details about his arrest. A third escapee, Dkenan Dennis, was located near Chef Menteur Highway.
Kirkpatrick said eight of the escapee prisoners remain at large, including four charged with second-degree murder: Corey Boyd, Lenton Vanburen, Jermaine Donald, and Derrick Groves. Initial reports had indicated that 11 inmates had escaped, but officials later clarified that one had been relocated to another cell.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson confirmed the escape was not discovered until a routine headcount at 8:30 a.m. Federal and state law enforcement agencies were alerted shortly afterwards, with New Orleans police receiving notification by 10:30 a.m.
Investigators suspected that the jailbreak was aided by someone in the facility. “It’s almost impossible to escape from this facility without assistance,” Hutson said. Faulty cell locks are also suspected to have contributed to the breach.
Discarded orange jail uniforms were found in a nearby neighbourhood, suggesting the escapees may have changed clothes shortly after fleeing the jail.
Authorities continue to pursue leads as the search intensifies. The public is being urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
