Five Inmates Remain at Large After New Orleans Jail Escape as Officials Expand Search and Raise Rewards for Capture

NEW ORLEANS, LA — A wide search continued for five men who remain on the run after a jailbreak at the Orleans Justice Center, where 10 inmates were discovered missing during a routine headcount Friday morning. Officials said the men likely left the facility around 1 a.m. after tampering with a cell door, then worked their way out through a wall behind a toilet and across the jail property.

Authorities have said the escapees should be treated as armed and dangerous. Three of the men still at large are charged with second-degree murder, underscoring the seriousness of the manhunt and the concern surrounding anyone who may run into them.

Rewards rise as federal, state and local agencies join the hunt

Law enforcement agencies moved quickly to widen the search and increase incentives for tips. FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp said the reward for information leading to an arrest is now $20,000 per inmate, combining money from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Crime Stoppers.

Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges said officials now have intelligence on all seven fugitives still unaccounted for at the time of his update, though he acknowledged some may already have crossed into other parishes or even other states. New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said investigators are following every lead and warned that the longer the search lasts, the greater the risk to the public.

How the inmates got out of the Orleans Justice Center

Investigators say the inmates began tampering with a locked cell door shortly after midnight Friday, and surveillance later showed them entering the cell area about 20 minutes after that. Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said the men exited through a hole behind a toilet at 1:01 a.m., then moved through a loading dock door and scaled a perimeter wall using blankets to avoid barbed wire.

Officials said the route gave the inmates a clear path toward railroad tracks and then the interstate. The sheriff’s office also released surveillance showing the men opening a sliding cell door, fleeing through the loading dock area, and running across Interstate 10. Their orange jail clothing was later found abandoned in a neighborhood near the interstate.

Officials suspect help inside the jail as staff face scrutiny

Sheriff Hutson has said the breach likely involved assistance from inside the department, not just broken equipment. She said defective locks played a role, but she also suggested the escape would have been difficult without outside help or some kind of tool. Three employees have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues.

At the time of the escape, officials said four supervisors and 36 staff members were working at the jail. No deputy was physically on the pod where the inmates were housed, and a civilian worker assigned to observe the area had stepped away to get food. Major Silas Phipps said he did not know how long that person was gone.

From the French Quarter to highway searches, arrests have already followed

Four escapees have been captured so far, including Kendall Myles, who was arrested Friday in the French Quarter after being found hiding under a car in a hotel garage. Officials say he was captured less than three miles from the jail and is charged with attempted second-degree murder.

Robert Moody was taken into custody Friday evening, Dkenan Dennis was captured near Chef Menteur Highway, Gary C. Price was arrested Monday, and Corey Boyd was caught Tuesday. New surveillance footage reviewed by ABC News showed two fugitives walking in the French Quarter around 9:58 a.m. Friday, including one investigators believe was Myles. The other man seen in that video is still being sought.

Why the escape has become a wider crisis for the jail system

The escape has put fresh pressure on Orleans Parish authorities, who say the jail needs major repairs and more staffing. Hutson said the facility needs $5.2 million for locks alone, and she called the breakout very serious and unacceptable. She also ordered a full investigation into facility protocols, staff performance and physical security measures.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the escape reflected a failure in the jail system that should never have happened. He also said the state attorney general is leading the investigation. Meanwhile, Kirkpatrick said people who may have been targeted by the inmates were moved to safety, and she urged witnesses to do the same if they feel at risk.