Inmate arrested in connection with Orleans Justice Center escape

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Woman arrested for aiding New Orleans jailbreak as 5 still on loose

Fox News’ Nate Foy reports the latest on the Louisiana jailbreak as officials continue to search for five fugitives. 

An inmate has been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the recent escape at the Orleans Justice Center, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill. 

The inmate, Trevon Williams, was already in custody at the time of the May 16 escape from Orleans Justice Center.

Authorities now plan to file additional charges against him related to his alleged involvement in the incident that allowed 10 incarcerated individuals to escape from the jail in New Orleans. Authorities did not elaborate on Williams’ alleged role.

“While Trevon Williams was already incarcerated, we will be filing additional charges related to the escape,” Murrill said in a post on X Friday. “We will continue our investigation and follow all of the facts to ensure we get accountability.”

FIFTH SUSPECTED NEW ORLEANS ACCOMPLICE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY AIDING INMATES IN JAILBREAK

Trevon Williams was arrested and charged with principle of escape, the Louisiana Attorney General announced Friday, May 23. (Attorney General Liz Murrill)

Williams is the latest person implicated in what has become a growing criminal conspiracy to help 10 inmates flee the jail on May 16.

“As I promised when we initiated our investigation, we will hold absolutely everyone who contributed any role to the prison break in New Orleans accountable,” Murrill added.

Law enforcement search for a fugitive that escaped a prison in New Orleans, Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)

As of Friday evening, five citizens have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the escape.

Casey Smith, 30, was arrested on Thursday and is accused of helping two fugitives immediately after the jailbreak by transporting them to multiple locations. 

Louisiana State Police on Thursday announced that 59-year-old Connie Weeden of Slidell, Louisiana, has been taken into custody on one felony count of being an accessory after the fact.

According to state police, Weeden was in contact with escapee Jermaine Donald by phone both before and after his jailbreak. She also allegedly provided him with cash via a cellphone app after his escape.

LOUISIANA POLICE ARREST THIRD ACCOMPLICE IN ORLEANS PARISH JAILBREAK

WATCH: Stunning video shows New Orleans inmates escaping jail

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Two other women, Cortnie Harris and Corvanntay Baptiste, were arrested and charged on Wednesday for allegedly being accessories after the fact in assisting the jailbreak.

A maintenance worker at the jail, Sterling Williams, was arrested and charged on Tuesday for allegedly cutting a cell’s water supply so the inmates could remove a toilet and escape through a hole behind it.

He was charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office for allegedly turning off the water in the cell from which the escapees fled. He is being held on $1.1 million bond, $100,000 per count, in the Plaquemines Parish Jail. 

Five of 10 remaining escapees from a New Orleans jail. (Fox News)

The following fugitives are still at large:

• Lenton J. Vanburen Jr., 26, faces charges of illegal carrying of weapons, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, obstruction of justice, and introducing contraband in prison.
• Jermaine Donald, 42, faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, and obstruction of justice.
• Antoine Massey, 32, faces charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle, and a parole violation.
• Derrick Groves, 27, faces three counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and battery of a correctional facility employee.
• Leo O. Tate Sr., 31, faces charges of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, illegal carrying of a weapon, motor vehicle theft, and multiple drug counts.

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Authorities have reminded the public that these individuals are considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information relevant to this ongoing multi-agency investigation is encouraged to contact law enforcement. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital. 

Since joining in 2021, she’s covered high-stakes criminal justice—from the Menendez brothers’ resentencing, where Judge Jesic slashed their life-without-parole terms to 50-years-to-life (making them parole-eligible), to the assassination attempts on President Donald Trump’s life and shifting immigration enforcement, including her reporting on South Florida’s illegal-immigration crisis, covering unprecedented migrant crossings from the Bahamas and ensuing enforcement operations.

Beyond those beats, she reports on crime, politics, business, lifestyle, world news, and more—delivering both breaking updates and in-depth analysis across Fox News Digital. You can follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.