Final of 10 New Orleans jail escapees captured – NBC New York

A monthslong seek for the one Louisiana inmate nonetheless on the run after an audacious Could jailbreak ended Wednesday when authorities say they discovered him hiding in a crawl area beneath an Atlanta residence, bringing the final of the ten escapees into custody.

Derrick Groves, 28, was convicted of homicide and going through a potential life sentence earlier than the inmates escaped via a gap behind a rest room in a New Orleans jail. He had probably the most violent prison document of the group and authorities supplied a $50,000 reward for ideas resulting in his seize.

A SWAT crew spent hours looking out the home for Groves after acquiring a warrant, Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Truthful mentioned.

“They couldn’t discover him, they needed to deploy fuel a number of occasions into the home and basement,” Truthful mentioned. “Based mostly on how lengthy it took a seasoned, well-trained SWAT crew to get him out, he had deliberate to cover for some time.”

A police canine finally positioned him, Atlanta police Deputy Chief Kelley Collier mentioned. In video supplied by the division, Groves — shirtless, shoeless and shackled at his wrists and ankles — blew a kiss and grinned on the digicam as he was led right into a police automobile.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry applauded legislation enforcement for placing all 10 escapees “again the place they belong: BEHIND BARS,” in a publish on X.

The tip that led to his seize got here via New Orleans Crimestoppers, Truthful mentioned.

A number of individuals seemed to be serving to Groves and will face expenses for aiding and abetting, Louisiana Legal professional Normal Liz Murrill mentioned at a press convention Wednesday, including that Groves is scheduled to be in court docket in Georgia Thursday for a listening to on extradition.

The house’s storage door was collapsed inward Wednesday afternoon as police blocked off the scene. The brick home on a sloping garden surrounded by bushes is in a neighborhood beside Tyler Perry Studios, one of many nation’s largest film manufacturing services. Inside the house, police additionally discovered a pistol and 15 kilos (6.8 kg) of marijuana, Murrill mentioned.

Groves’ legal professional, Peter Freiberg, mentioned he had not but spoken along with his consumer and declined to remark. He was appointed to symbolize Groves by the Orleans Public Defender battle panel.

“Actually all I do know is the alert from town of New Orleans saying he was arrested in Atlanta,” Freiberg mentioned.

The opposite 9 inmates had been recaptured inside six weeks of the Could 16 breakout, most inside Orleans Parish metropolis limits.

Officers in New Orleans introduced 10 individuals broke out of an Orleans Parish jail early Friday morning. One inmate was captured and three officers had been suspended.

Escapee’s mom reacts to his seize

“I’m all tousled, I’m simply making an attempt to speak to him,” mentioned Groves’ mom, Stephanie Groves, who spoke to The Related Press after studying concerning the arrest on-line.

Preventing tears, she mentioned she had urged her son to give up peacefully and didn’t know why he went to Atlanta. She mentioned her household had been adopted and watched by legislation enforcement because the breakout.

“I’m simply glad it’s over with,” she mentioned. “In fact he was going to get caught.”

Groves had been convicted of second-degree homicide in 2024 for opening hearth on a household block social gathering on Mardi Gras day, killing two individuals and injuring others. He faces life imprisonment with out parole.

The jailbreak in New Orleans

Groves and the 9 others yanked open a defective cell door, squeezed via a gap behind a rest room, scaled a barbed-wire fence and vanished into the evening. It was one of many largest jailbreaks in current U.S. historical past.

Their absence wasn’t found till a morning headcount hours later. Contained in the cell, investigators discovered an arrow drawn towards the opening and a taunting message: “To Straightforward LoL.”

Officers later blamed ineffective cell locks and mentioned the lone guard monitoring them was getting meals in the course of the escape. However authorities insist the escape might have been an inside job.

A jail upkeep employee was arrested for allegedly serving to them escape by turning off water to the bathroom. His lawyer mentioned he was merely unclogging it and was unaware of the plot. One other former jail worker, recognized as Groves’ girlfriend, is accused of serving to coordinate the breakout.

Seek for the fugitives

A whole lot of officers scoured New Orleans, utilizing telephone data and lots of of tricks to rapidly monitor down a few of the males.

Not less than 16 individuals, a lot of them pals or kinfolk, had been arrested on felony expenses of serving to the fugitives earlier than or after the jailbreak by offering meals, money, transport and shelter.

One escapee was captured in Baton Rouge after allegedly hiding in a vacant home his buddy had been employed to color. Two others had been caught in Texas after a high-speed automobile chase. Antoine Massey, one of many final fugitives to be recaptured, allegedly posted images and movies on social media whereas on the run.

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, who has largely blamed the breakout on the lockup’s ailing infrastructure, has confronted heavy criticism from state and native officers over her dealing with of the escape and administration of the jail.

Escapees face further expenses

Most of the males had been in jail awaiting sentences or trials over violent crimes, together with homicide. The 9 different males pleaded not responsible to flee expenses in July, showing through video from Louisiana State Penitentiary.

“Everyone seems to be entitled to due course of,” Murrill mentioned. “However there’s a video of those detainees working out of the jail in the course of the evening. They weren’t heading to court docket hearings.”

Orleans Parish District Legal professional Jason Williams hailed the tip of the search and mentioned prosecutors “will pursue each out there authorized avenue” towards Groves.

All 10 males are charged with easy escape, punishable by two to 5 years in jail, on high of their authentic counts.

Groves was booked into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon. He’s charged with being a fugitive from justice, jail data present.

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Brook reported from New Orleans. Related Press writers Charlotte Kramon in Atlanta and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.