After spending a little over a month on the run, Antoine Massey has been captured and arrested. Massey, along with nine other male inmates, escaped a New Orleans jail in May after ripping out a toilet inside the prison. Meanwhile, the final escapee, Derrick Groves, still remains at large.
RELATED: Still On The Run! Police Raid Fails To Locate Antoine Massey After Alleged Videos Of The New Orleans Inmate Go Viral (UPDATE)
Antoine Massey Captured After Month-Long Manhunt
According to CNN, authorities arrested Antoine Massey and took him back into custody on Friday, June 27. Officials allegedly found the 33-year-old inside a rental property in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans. Police apprehended Massey just a few miles from the jail where he and nine other inmates planned their escape. Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair told CNN that officers “peacefully” took Antoine into custody after surrounding the location.
Video Of Man Claiming To Be Antoine Massey Goes Viral Amid Escape
Although police eventually located Antoine Massey nearly six weeks after his escape in May, they originally failed to find him during an initial raid on June 3. Authorities launched the raid after a video went viral showing a man who claimed to be Massey. The man, who appeared to have face tattoos similar to Massey’s, pleaded his innocence while speaking from what looked like a kitchen.
In the video, Massey shared his perspective on his case and the charges against him. He also called on President Donald Trump and multiple rappers including Meek Mill, Lil Wayne, and NBA YoungBoy for support. Antoine insisted that he did not escape from prison, but claimed jail officials had actually let him out.
Per CNN, Antoine Massey faced charges of rape, kidnapping, domestic violence involving strangulation and violating a protective order. The charges reportedly stem from a November 2024 incident, which were purportedly mentioned in the viral video that surfaced online. As TSR previously reported, police records described multiple alleged instances of physical abuse involving a woman who identified as Massey’s girlfriend. Court documents also showed that she obtained a protective order against him in 2024.
What Really Happened During The New Orleans Jail Escape
On May, 16, ten inmates opened a damaged cell door inside a New Orleans jail and moved the toilet to crawl through a hole in the wall. Before leaving, they wrote the message “TOO EASY LOL.” Several inmates including, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Leo Tate, Lenton Vanburen, as well as Antoine Massey managed to flee, though authorities later captured the others, Kendell Myles, Corey Boyd, Gary Price, Dkenan Dennis and Robert Moody and placed them in maximum security.
At the time of the jailbreak, officials sparked concerns about possible outside assistance. CNN reports Casey Smith and Cortnie Harris admitted to helping two of the fugitives by providing transportation. Police also arrested Corvanntay Baptise for communicating with inmate Corey Boyd over the phone. Another individual, Connie Weeden, allegedly sent money to escapee Jermaine Donald through a mobile payment app. Investigators also suspected Sterling Williams, a jail maintenance worker, of shutting off the water to the cell where the inmates removed the toilet to carry out the escape.
