Derrick Groves is finally in custody after nearly five months on the run! He was one of 10 male inmates who crawled through a hole behind a toilet and escaped from a Louisiana jail on May 16. Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair confirmed Groves got caught in Atlanta after an anonymous tip. He was the last New Orleans inmate to be found, per the U.S. Marshals.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry applauded law enforcement for putting all 10 escapees “back where they belong: BEHIND BARS,” in a post on X.
RELATED: Ninth New Orleans Inmate Antoine Massey Captured After Viral Video & Weeks On The Run (UPDATE)
More Details About Derrick Groves’ Capture
Sgt. Kate Stegall, a spokesperson for the Louisiana State Police, said police took Derrick Groves into custody in a house after a brief standoff. The 28-year-old was facing a possible life sentence before the jailbreak. Groves had been convicted of second-degree murder in 2024 for opening fire on a family block party on Mardi Gras day. He ultimately killed two people and injured others. Groves had the most violent criminal record of the escapees, and still he faces life imprisonment without parole.
“He was hiding in a crawl space,” U.S. Marshal Brian Fair said. “It appears he was the only one in this house and he was hidden pretty well.”
Law enforcement captured Derrick in a neighborhood just west of Fort McPherson, a former U.S. Army military base. For context, that base is now home to Tyler Perry Studios, one of the largest movie production facilities in the nation.
WATCH VIDEOS OF THE ARREST HERE.
How Did Police Find The Last Runaway Inmate?
Authorities had previously offered a $50,000 reward for tips that led to his recapture. U.S. Marshal Fair said cops developed a lead on Derrick Groves’ whereabouts with support from the anonymous tip program Crimestoppers. The tip reportedly originated in New Orleans, per the Associated Press. According to Fair, law enforcement didn’t arrest anyone else, but went full force on Groves. The U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Atlanta Police Department SWAT team teamed up to detain him.
Derrick Groves’ Mother Speaks Out About His Arrest
The inmate’s mother, Stephanie Groves, spoke to The Associated Press following her son’s recapture. She claims she learned the update on the internet.
“I’m all messed up, I’m just trying to talk to him,” she said. “I’m just seeing it on the internet, I woke up to it on the internet.”
Holding back tears, Stephanie Groves said she was concerned for her son’s safety and had wanted him to surrender peacefully. She said she did not know why he had gone to Atlanta. Additionally, the mother said she had not spoken to him since he escaped. Law enforcement has been following and surveilling her family, she said.
“It’s just been a mess,” she said. “I’m just glad it’s over with.” Adding, “Of course, he was going to get caught.”
The Jailbreak That Shocked New Orleans Went Like This…
As previously reported, Derrick Groves and the nine other men yanked open a faulty cell door inside the New Orleans jail and squeezed through a hole behind a toilet. Then, they scaled a barbed-wire fence and fled into the coverage of darkness. It was one of the largest jailbreaks in recent U.S. history.
Jail employees didn’t notice the inmates’ absence until a morning headcount. By that time, it had been hours since they bolted for freedom. They had left a message at the crime scene. On the cell wall, the inmates drew an arrow, pointing at the gap they slipped through — above it was a graffiti message: “To Easy LoL.”
Since then, city and state officials have pointed to multiple security lapses in the jail, from ineffective cell locks to insufficient employees. For example, authorities think the men slipped away when the lone guard watching them went to get food.
Still, authorities insist that the men likely had inside help. Cops arrested a jail maintenance worker for allegedly helping the inmates escape by turning off the water to the toilet through which they escaped. The man has denied knowingly aiding them via his lawyer, who claims he was unclogging a toilet.
Another former jail employee, identified by authorities as Groves’ girlfriend, is accused of helping coordinate the escape.
At least 16 people, many of them friends and family of the escapees, have been accused of aiding the fugitives before or after the jailbreak. They were arrested on felony charges. Court documents allege that those people provided food, cash, transport and shelter.
How Did The Others Get Caught?
One fugitive allegedly hid out in a vacant home that his friend repainted. Cops captured him in Baton Rouge, more than 80 miles from New Orleans. Two others were caught after a high-speed car chase in Walker County, Texas. However, most of the escapees were found inside the city limits of Orleans Parish. Antoine Massey, one of the last fugitives to be recaptured, allegedly posted photos and videos on social media while on the run.
Many of the men were originally in the New Orleans jail, awaiting sentences or trials, for alleged violent crimes, including murder. All 10 men are charged with simple escape on top of the previous criminal counts that initially landed them in jail. The escape charge carries a sentence of two to five years in prison.
The nine other men accused of breaking out of the city jail pleaded not guilty to escape charges in July. They appeared via video call from the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Derrick Groves’ attorney was present for the arraignment but did not enter a plea on his behalf, reported The New Orleans Advocate/The Times-Picayune.
“Everyone is entitled to due process. But there’s a video of these detainees running out of the jail in the middle of the night. They were not heading to court hearings,” state Attorney General Liz Murrill said.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams hailed the end of the search and said prosecutors “will pursue every available legal avenue” against Derrick Groves.
RELATED: Wayment! New Orleans Mayor Indicted Over Allegations Of Trying To Hide Relationship With Her Bodyguard
Associated Press writers Jeff Martin, Jack Brook, and Sara Cline contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
