Authorities in Louisiana continue to search for seven inmates who were among a larger group that escaped the jail at the Orleans Justice Center in downtown New Orleans on Friday.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office said three members of the group of escaped individuals have been brought back into custody after being found in various areas.
Members of local, state and federal law enforcement are still searching for seven men at large:
- Corey Boyd
- Derrick Groves
- Jermaine Donald
- Lenton VanBuren
- Antoine Massey
- Leo Tate
- Gary Price
There is a $10,000 reward per individual being offered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for information that leads to their capture.
A group of 10 men who were being held in the Orleans Parish Jail on a variety of charges — including some with murder — escaped from the facility in the early morning hours on Friday, the sheriff's office said.
The individuals were able to get out of their cells just after midnight due to faulty locks, the sheriff's office said.
Around 1 a.m., the detainees were able to go through a hole in the wall behind a toilet in one of the housing unit cells. The group was then able to leave the building through a back door used for unloading supplies and scale a wall before they were seen on surveillance running across a nearby interstate.
It is believed members of the sheriff's office may have aided in their escape, officials said.
The discovery of the missing inmates was made during a morning headcount at the jail around 8:30 a.m.
The sheriff's office acknowledged that this escape has highlighted several critical issues with the jail's infrastructure. Officials said in addition to the defective locks and wall opening, about one-third of the security cameras throughout the facility are currently inoperable, including three cameras in the unit from which the escape occurred.
"These security breaches, combined with ongoing staffing shortages, have made it difficult to maintain the level of security required. Currently, the OJC houses 24 pods, and the facility is operating with insufficient staff to properly monitor all areas at all times," the sheriff's office said. "We are committed to ensuring that the necessary repairs are made to restore full functionality to the facility and to improve the overall safety and security of both detainees and staff."
