Ten inmates escape from Orleans Parish Jail in an operation perceived to involve insider aid, prompting a city-wide manhunt.
**Inside Job? New Orleans Jail Break Raises Alarms Over Staff Involvement**
**Inside Job? New Orleans Jail Break Raises Alarms Over Staff Involvement**
Authorities investigate potential inside help in daring escape of ten violent inmates.
Ten violent offenders, several charged with murder, have escaped from the Orleans Parish Jail in New Orleans, with authorities suspecting possible assistance from staff members in the daring escape. The jailbreak occurred in the early hours of Friday, around midnight, and was discovered during a headcount at 08:30 local time (13:30 GMT). As of now, one of the escapees has been recaptured.
Sheriff Susan Huston stated at a press conference, "There's no way for anyone to get out of this facility without help." Surveillance footage and photographs released by the sheriff’s office reveal the extent of the escape plan, which included mocking messages left behind by the inmates, such as “To Easy LoL.”
During the police search, one of the fugitives, identified as Kendall Myles, was apprehended in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He was tracked down using facial recognition technology after being filmed by a surveillance camera, and was subsequently found hiding beneath a car in a parking garage.
The initial count of escapees was reported as 11 but was later updated to 10 by the sheriff's office. Sheriff Huston explained that the inmates managed to force their jail cell door off the tracks at around 00:23 (05:23 GMT), exploited a broken toilet to rip away bars from a wall, and made their escape via a gap used for piping. The pictures shared by the sheriff’s office show the damage done, and notable messages left scorched into the wall, possibly to boast about their escapade.
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick classified the escape as an "urgent and serious situation", urging the public to report any suspicious sightings. Victims of some escapees have been alerted, further complicating potential fallout as many are linked to serious violent crimes. Superintendent Kirkpatrick stressed the likelihood of outside help for the escape, cautioning that those found aiding inmates would face charges. As the search intensifies, federal authorities including the FBI and US Marshals have joined local efforts to retrieve the remaining escapees. The Orleans Parish Jail, situated approximately 3 km (2 miles) from New Orleans’ famous French Quarter, finds itself in the spotlight as it faces serious questions about security and procedural integrity.
