Fifth person arrested on suspicion of aiding New Orleans escapees

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Fifth person arrested on suspicion of aiding New Orleans escapees

By Christian Martinez

(Reuters) -A fifth person has been arrested on suspicion of helping some of the 10 inmates who staged a daring escape from a New Orleans jail that was caught on security video, authorities said on Friday.

Authorities apprehended Casey Smith, 30, who allegedly helped two escapees who had broken out of the Orleans Justice Center in the early morning hours of May 16, police said Friday in a statement. She helped the inmates “as they were transported to multiple locations in hours following their escape.”As of Friday afternoon, five of the escapees had been captured, while five others remained at large.

Smith was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact to simple escape.

On Thursday, Louisiana State Police said 59-year-old Connie Weeden was arrested after allegedly providing funds to escapee Jermaine Donald.

Two other women, Cortnie Harris, 32, and Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, were arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of being accessories after the fact, state police said.

A maintenance worker at the jail, Sterling Williams, 33, was also arrested for allegedly assisting in the escape.

Williams admitted to agents that he had turned off the water supply to a cell at the request of one inmate, who then tore off a sink and toilet from the wall and fled through the hole, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said on Tuesday.

The inmates made their way out of the jail through the hole and out of a loading dock before scaling a wall and running across a highway, security video showed.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Williams said the inmate had threatened to cut him with a “shank” – a jailhouse term for a homemade knife – if he did not comply.The inmates were discovered missing during a morning headcount.

Williams did not report the inmate and allowed “the inmates to carry out their scheme to successfully escape,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said on Tuesday in a statement.

He was booked into Orleans Parish jail, then relocated to another facility and charged with 10 counts of simple escape and malfeasance in office.

(Reporting by Christian Martinez; Editing by Frank McGurty and David Gregorio)

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