Louisiana woman arrested for aiding inmate escape New Orleans jail
A woman has been arrested in connection with the brazen escape of 10 inmates from a New Orleans jail earlier this month, authorities said, further bolstering the belief that the escapees received help with the jailbreak.
Connie Weeden, 59, of Slidell, Louisiana, was arrested on May 22, Louisiana State Police said in a news release. State police accused Weeden of assisting escapee Jermaine Donald, who remains at large.
An initial investigation revealed that Weeden was in contact with Donald by phone before and after the escape, according to state police. Investigators determined that Weeden provided Donald money through a cell phone app.
State police said Weeden has been charged with one felony count of being an accessory after the fact and was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center. If convicted, Weeden faces a fine of up to $500 and/or a prison sentence of up to five years.
Massive search for escaped New Orleans inmate
The massive manhunt for five out of 10 inmates who busted out of a New Orleans jail stretched into its seventh day on May 22. The inmates escaped in the early morning hours of May 16, ripping out a toilet and sink unit and going through a hole in the wall, officials said.
Three other people also have been charged with helping the inmates: a maintenance worker who allegedly shut off the water at their request, and two women accused of helping them with transportation or food after the jailbreak. On May 22, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced bonds for those women were set at $2.5 million and $1 million.
"You will be arrested and prosecuted if you assist these escapees in any way," Murrill said in a social media post.
Authorities nabbed three of the men – Robert Moody, Dkenan Dennis, and Kendall Myles – by the end of the first day of the search. A fourth inmate, Gary Price, was taken into custody on May 19. The fifth, Corey Boyd, was recaptured on May 20.
The inmates still at large are Derrick Groves, Leo Tate, Jermaine Donald, Lenton Vanburen, and Antoine Massey. Vanburen, Donald, and Groves have been charged with second-degree murder, officials said.
Who are the inmates still on the run?
- Jermaine Donald, 42, was charged with second-degree murder, according to parish records. The governor's office said he also faced charges of aggravated battery and possession of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty in April 2024, the Times-Picayune/NOLA.com reported.
- Derrick Groves, 27, was convicted of two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder in October in connection with a shooting during Mardi Gras in 2018, according to a statement from the district attorney’s office. Groves has been awaiting sentencing on a manslaughter charge since October, according to a news release from the governor’s office. He also faces a charge of battery against a correctional facility employee, the Associated Press reported, citing court records.
- Antoine T. Massey, 32, is charged with domestic abuse involving strangulation and theft of a motor vehicle, according to Orleans Parish records. There also is a warrant for his arrest in St. Tammany Parish for second-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping, domestic abuse involving strangulation and violation of a protective order involving battery stemming from an incident in November, a spokesperson for the parish sheriff's office told Paste BN.
- Leo Tate, 31, was charged with burglary and drug possession, parish records show. The governor's office said Tate also was charged with theft of a motor vehicle and was sentenced in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm. NOLA.com reported Tate has also been sentenced to 10 years in prison for obstruction of justice, citing jail records.
- Lenton Vanburen, 26, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder and armed robbery, New Orleans police said. Vanburen also faced charges of possession of suboxone, an opioid often used to treat addiction, and battery of a correctional officer, according to parish records.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Contributing: Joel Shannon, John Bacon, Jorge L. Ortiz, and N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Paste BN