(NewsNation) — Authorities on Sunday said they’re still searching for seven of 10 inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail on Friday but are pursuing viable leads on each suspect.
Louisiana State Police Supt. Col. Robert Hodges said authorities have “actionable intelligence” on all seven fugitives, who may be getting help on the outside from others. He urged the public to be vigilant and reach out to police or federal officials if they have information and said anyone helping an escaped inmate will face consequences.
“We need the public’s help. We cannot do it alone,” Hodges said during a news conference where he was joined by Gov. Jeff Landry and other law-enforcement representatives.
Landry promised a full investigation into the escape, which he said may be the biggest jail breach in the history of Louisiana. An audit by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections could be finished as soon as the end of this week, he said.
“There is no excuse for the escape of these violent offenders,” the governor said.
The FBI is now offering a $10,000 reward for the apprehension of each inmate, in addition to $5,000 rewards offered by both the ATF and the local Crime Stoppers.
Local law enforcement officials warned the public not to approach any of the escapees because they could be armed and dangerous. Some of those who were incarcerated were charged with murder.
More than 200 law enforcement personnel have been assisting with the investigation.
The security breach suggests it may have been an inside job. Video from inside the Orleans Parish Jail shows some of those inmates trying to pry open a door and scaling a fence before running out of the facility toward a nearby highway.
Photos revealed the inmates used a hole behind a toilet to escape and left taunting messages, one reading, “too easy, lol.”
Authorities didn’t know anyone was missing until about seven hours later when they conducted the morning headcount.
It didn’t take long before the first of the escapees was apprehended following a brief chase through the French Quarter, thanks to a Crime Stoppers tip. The three in custody are Kendell Myles, 20; Robert Moody, 21; and Dkenan Dennis, 24. According to local reporting, Myles was previously accused of escaping another facility and was identified and located based on facial recognition.
The three captured jail inmates have been relocated to a state prison, officials said.
Officers have said escaping the facility, where almost 1,500 people are incarcerated, is almost impossible, and it could be an inside job. Three prison staffers have been suspended pending an investigation.
The sheriff is running for reelection and has suggested there may be a political motive.
New details have emerged about the facility’s conditions. One of the pods where the inmates were held was unmanned for some time. A civilian technician was around but then had to step away to get some food, and that is when jail officials said the inmates made a run for it.
Sheriff Susan Hutson told reporters the facility had faulty locks despite requesting money to fix the prison’s ailing infrastructure. She added that they are woefully understaffed and underfunded.
The Louisiana attorney general called the escape “beyond unacceptable” and the failures “inexcusable.”
The 7 fugitives include:
- Antoine Massey, 33
- Lenton Vanburen, 27
- Derrick Groves, 27
- Corey Boyd, 20
- Leo Tate, 21
- Jermaine Donald, 42
- Gary Price, 21