Roomies, this wild prison break outta New Orleans just got a major update — and trust, the story is far from over. Authorities just caught three more of the 10 inmates who escaped the Orleans Justice Center earlier this month. And, the details are just as wild as the escape itself.
RELATED: Chile! 5 New Orleans Inmates Are STILL On The Run A Week After Escaping Jail Through Yanked Toilet (UPDATES)
More Inmates Caught
Officials say, Lenton Vanburen, 26, was caught in Baton Rouge, while Leo Tate, 31, and Jermaine Donald, 42, were taken down in Texas after leading police on a high-speed chase near Houston. All three are now back in custody and facing additional charges tied to the escape. Meanwhile, two inmates are still on the run, and yes — the reward money is looking real nice for anyone who helps find them.
So far, 13 people have been arrested for allegedly helping the escapees. The list includes another inmate, a jail worker, and several folks on the outside. For information leading to the arrests of the remaining escapees, authorities have announced awards of up to $20,000 per inmate.
Not Grandma Going To Jail!
Chile, it’s getting deeper! Another person has been arrested and accused of assisting one escaped inmate from the Orleans Justice Center — and this time, it’s family. Louisiana State Police say 59-year-old Connie Weeden, who sources say is the grandmother of recently caught, Jermaine Donald, was arrested Thursday night in Slidell.
Authorities say Weeden sent Donald cash through a cellphone app while he was on the run. She’s now facing a felony accessory charge and was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center.
How Did All Of This Begin?
Now in case you missed it: the jailbreak went down on May 16. Shortly after midnight, 10 inmates literally slipped out through a hole behind a toilet — no, we’re not making this up. As previously reported by The Shade Room, a jail maintenance worker allegedly turned off the water, which let the group remove the toilet and dip out. The wildest part? They left the message “Too Easy LOL” written on the wall. Not to mention, officials didn’t even notice they were missing until hours later.
The manhunt isn’t just facing challenges on the ground — it’s also running into major political issues. The city’s police history of misconduct and racial bias toward Black communities, paired with the state police’s record of excessive force, has complicated the search. On top of that, the jail system itself has been flagged for violating constitutional rights, creating a serious roadblock in getting the public fully on board.
Surveillance footage shows New Orleans inmates escaping from jail and running across the highway 👀 pic.twitter.com/PaQFu2xU67
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) May 17, 2025
