4 hours ago
1
Wild video shows the moment 10 violent inmates were spotted sprinting away from a New Orleans jail under the cover of darkness — just moments after brazenly escaping via a hole covered by a toilet in one of the cells.
The inmates, including several locked up on murder raps, broke out of the Orleans Parish Jail early Friday in an audacious overnight escape as the one lone guard assigned to their cell pod was away getting food, authorities said.
In the moments leading up to the escape, surveillance footage captured the criminals prying open one of the cell doors before they all managed to squeeze through the tiny porthole.
The perps — decked out in their orange and white prison garb — were then caught on camera running frantically away from the jail one by one.
At least one inmate, who was clutching a blanket, was spotted taking a tumble as he fled, the clip shows.
The gang then scaled a fence, using the blanket to avoid being cut by barbed wire, and then sprinted across the nearby interstate and into a neighborhood, authorities said.
They quickly ditched their jail uniforms, though it wasn’t immediately clear how some were able to obtain regular clothing so quickly.
Meanwhile, a photo later released by authorities showed the opening behind the toilet in a cell where the men escaped through — complete with a taunting message scrawled on the wall that read “To Easy LoL” with an arrow pointing at the gap.
Other messages declared “Catch us when you can” and “I’m/We Innocent.”
The shocking escape was only discovered during a routine morning headcount some eight hours later.
Seven of the escapees, including some charged with murder, remained on the lam as of Saturday.
One of the crims, Kendall Myles, 20, was apprehended after a brief foot chase through New Orleans’ famed French Quarter soon after the escape. He had previously escaped twice from juvenile detention centers.
By Friday evening, two more fugitives had been captured.
Officials found Robert Moody, 21 — who was accused of drug trafficking, battery and obstruction of justice — in New Orleans thanks to a Crime Stoppers tip, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office said.
Dkenan Dennis, who was holed up on armed robbery and weapons charges, was found near the Chef Menteur Highway.
The rest of the lammers have violent criminal histories, with officials fearing the convicts could be looking to settle old scores.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson blamed the escape on defective locks and said there are indications that people inside her department helped the fugitives escape.
“It’s almost impossible, not completely, but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help,” she said of the jail, where 1,400 people are being held.
Three employees have been placed on suspension pending the outcome of a probe, authorities said.
It wasn’t immediately clear if any of the employees were suspected of helping with the escape.
With Post wires
English (US)