Three more inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail earlier this month have been recaptured, according to an official statement from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill. The mass escape took place on May 16, and a total of 10 inmates broke out. While five were caught early on, and now three more are in custody, two inmates are still at large.
Where Were the Escaped Inmates Found?
Lenton Vanburen was arrested in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The other two — Leo Tate and Jermaine Donald — were caught in Walker County, Texas by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Murrill shared on social media.
All three are expected to face new charges for escaping from jail, in addition to the ones they were already serving time for.
What Crimes Were the Inmates Originally Charged With?
Lenton Vanburen was serving time for violating parole, illegal possession of a firearm, and carrying a weapon as a felon. Authorities also revealed that five people were arrested for helping Vanburen escape, including being charged as accessories after the fact.
Leo Tate was behind bars for burglary and firearm charges, and he also has a criminal history involving attempted second-degree murder.
Jermaine Donald had been jailed on more serious charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated battery, and firearm possession by a felon.
How Did the Inmates Escape?
The daring jailbreak happened just after midnight on May 16. Surveillance video from the jail showed the group of inmates forcing open a cell door at around 12:22 a.m. They then broke through a wall behind the toilet, which led them to a loading dock, and from there, they fled the building by around 1 a.m.
Shockingly, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office did not notice the escape until 8:30 a.m., more than seven hours later. At the time, no sheriff’s deputy was assigned to the area where the escape began.
A Jail Maintenance Worker Helped the Inmates
Investigators have arrested at least 13 people in connection with the escape. One of them is a jail maintenance worker, who allegedly helped by shutting off the water supply to the inmates’ cell. That allowed the inmates to remove the toilet from the wall, giving them access to the hidden passage behind it.