7 men at large after escape from New Orleans jail including 4 charged with murder

Ten men escaped from a New Orleans jail on Friday, possibly with help from officials at the jail, and should be considered armed and dangerous, officials with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office warned.

Three of the inmates have since been apprehended.

Kendell Myles was apprehended in the French Quarter, a tourist hot spot less than 3 miles from the Orleans Justice Center, the Louisiana State Police said. He was found hiding beneath a car in a hotel garage, according to officials. Myles is charged with attempted second-degree murder.

A second inmate, Robert Moody, was captured late Friday evening, according to police. More information on Moody's capture wasn't immediately released.

In an update late Friday night, authorities announced Dkenan Dennis had been captured near Chef Menteur Highway.

"We have made progress," Orleans Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said during a press briefing. "Today, three of the escapees are now in custody. We have active leads on the others."

"People are talking. We appreciate that," the official said, highlighting that one of the arrests came directly from a Crime Stoppers tip. "The second person that we got into custody was actually an actual Crime Stopper tip."

Initially, officials said 11 had escaped, but officials didn't realize one had just been transferred to another cell.

Eight inmates remain at large, including four men -- Corey Boyd, Lenton Vanburen, Jermaine Donald and Derrick Groves -- who are charged with second-degree murder, officials said.

Some of the inmates began tampering with a locked cell door at 12:22 a.m. Friday and were seen on surveillance footage entering the cell about 20 minutes later, according to Major Silas Phipps with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office.

The 10 inmates exited the jail through a wall behind a toilet at 1:01 a.m., according to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson. They then made their way off the property through a loading dock door and scaled the perimeter wall using blankets to protect themselves from the barbed wire, Phipps said. From there, they had a clear path to railroad tracks and then the interstate.

The sheriff's office showed surveillance video uncovered during their investigation into the breach that showed the inmates jarring open a sliding door on a cell, fleeing from the loading dock and running crossing Interstate 10. Their orange jail uniform was found abandoned in a neighborhood near I-10, authorities said.

"We have the indication that these detainees received assistance in their escape from inside our department," Hutson said at a press conference Friday.

"It's almost impossible -- not completely -- but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help from the outside," Hutson said.

The men were discovered missing during a routine headcount at the Orleans Justice Center at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time Friday, according to Major Silas Phipps with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office.

The United States Marshals, Louisiana State Police and Probation and Parole were notified by 9:30 a.m., the sheriff's office said. New Orleans police officials said they were notified at 10:30 a.m.

"These folks that were able to get out did so because of defective locks on the cells," Hutson said.

"There's no way people can get out of this facility without some lapse," Hutson said. "We intend to find out exactly what happened."

Officials said they are investigating how the breach occurred, saying the inmates had to have received help, or at least some type of tool that enabled them to escape.

Three employees have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, the sheriff's office said.

Four supervisors and 36 staff members were at the jail at the time of the escape, according to officials. When the breach occurred, no deputy was physically on the pod where the inmates were housed, and a civilian employee who had been assigned to observe the pod "had actually stepped away to grab food" and was unaware they had escaped, Phipps said.

Phipps said he did not have information on how long the civilian had stepped away.

Hutson said the incident has highlighted the urgent need for repair of the jail and more staffing. Hutson said they need $5.2 million to pay for locks alone.

Hutson asked the public to remain alert, adding the sheriff's department is working with local, state and federal law enforcement on a "full-scale search operation."

New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said a "group of people" believed to be victims of the inmates were immediately removed from their homes and "taken to safety." She appealed to witnesses of the inmates' crimes to do the same.

Kirkpatrick said it's "more than likely" the inmates had help and have changed out of their jail clothes.

"We don't want panic, but we do want people to be mindful," she told reporters.

The sheriff called the escape "very serious and unacceptable."

"We are launching a full investigation to determine how this escape occurred, including reviewing facility protocols, staff performance and physical security measures," the sheriff said.

Anyone who helped the inmates escape will be held accountable, the sheriff vowed.

The FBI said it is assisting in the search and is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for tips leading to the arrest of any of the escaped inmates.

Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans also said it is offering a $2,000 reward for each apprehension.

Hutson questioned the timing of the breach during a heated press briefing Friday evening.

"Why did it happen just right now, right in the middle, as we're getting ready to start this sheriff's race?" she said. "This is very suspicious. We know that they had help. We're showing you they had help. This was coordinated. There's much more than meets the eye."