Three of the 10 inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail were captured Monday, narrowing the number of escapees still at large to two, Louisiana State Police confirmed.
Authorities arrested Lenton Vanburen in Baton Rouge, about 72 miles northwest of New Orleans, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill on X. Meanwhile, Texas Department of Public Safety. officers took Leo Tate and Jermaine Donald into custody in Walker County, Texas, roughly 330 miles west of New Orleans.
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Baton Rouge officials said Vanburen was found sitting on a bench near a department store. He had been jailed for a parole violation, illegal possession of a firearm by a felon, and unlawful weapon carrying. “He will now face additional charges related to the escape,” Murrill stated.
Tate and Donald were captured following a high-speed chase involving several law enforcement agencies, the Huntsville Police Department reported. The pursuit ended near US 190 and Geneva, where both men were apprehended. Investigators had tracked them to the Houston area, said Deputy US Marshal Brian Fair. Huntsville lies about 70 miles north of Houston.
These three are the first escapees to be caught outside New Orleans.
Authorities continue searching for the remaining two fugitives. So far, 13 people have been arrested for allegedly helping the escapees.
In addition to Vanburen, Tate, and Donald, Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Dkenan Dennis, Gary Price, and Corey Boyd have been recaptured. Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey are still at large and considered armed and dangerous.
“If you were manning the security system, you would have known a door was opening — especially in the middle of the night,”
— Former Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman
The inmates reportedly escaped on May 16 by crawling through a hole behind a toilet at the Orleans Parish Prison. A source close to the investigation told CNN they used electric hair trimmers with multiple blades to cut through the cell walls.
Their escape has been blamed on faulty locks, stolen blankets, and alleged inside help — including a jail employee who was reportedly motivated by hunger. The capture of three inmates across two states marks significant progress in ending the manhunt.
Last week, Murrill and Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams visited the Orleans Justice Center as part of the ongoing investigation. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has dispatched at least 10 seasoned auditors to review the facility.
The district attorney said the director of the New Orleans Police Department Crime Lab also visited the jail to begin forensic analysis. He noted the sheriff’s office hadn’t formally requested the examination.
Williams urged the sheriff’s office to cooperate by sharing fingerprint and DNA records of staff “for the purpose of inclusion or elimination of their profiles,” according to a letter obtained by CNN.
In another letter, also dated Thursday, Williams asked that all records related to the jailbreak — including surveillance footage and internal communications — be preserved.
Former Sheriff Gusman, who led the jail from 2004 to 2022, told CNN he didn’t know how the inmates got into the pipe chase behind the toilet and sink. He stressed that the walls included roughly 5 inches of concrete reinforced with steel rebar.
13 Accused of Aiding the Escape
Among those arrested is Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker at the jail. Authorities charged the 33-year-old with one count of malfeasance in office and 10 counts of being a principal to simple escape. An affidavit claims he “willfully and maliciously” helped with the jailbreak.
His attorney, Michael Kennedy, maintains Williams’ innocence, stating he was simply turning off the water to a flooding toilet after receiving instructions.
The escapees have been identified as:
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Corey Boyd
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Dkenan Dennis
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Jermaine Donald
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Derrick Groves
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Antoine Massey
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Robert Moody
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Kendell Myles
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Gary Price
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Leo Tate
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Lenton Vanburen
At least 12 others are suspected of helping in various ways, including another inmate at the facility. Investigators continue reviewing phone recordings and suspect that more jail staff or inmates may have assisted in the breakout and early cover-up, the source said.
Trevon Williams was arrested Friday for his alleged role. Already in custody on unrelated charges, he was rebooked for principal to simple escape, Murrill announced on X.
The remaining arrests involve people accused of acting as accessories after the fact.
