Manhunt underway as inmates escape New Orleans jail through hole hidden behind a toilet

A police manhunt is underway after inmates at a New Orleans jail pulled off a daring escape through a hole in the wall located behind a toilet early Friday morning.

The brazen jailbreak went down at the Orleans Justice Center in the Big Easy, with 10 criminals with a history of violence fleeing the facility and scaling a fence to gain their temporary freedom just after midnight.

Once outside, they shucked their orange prison jumpsuits after crossing Interstate 10. The discarded clothing was found in a nearby neighborhood, Fox 8 New Orleans reported.

Surveillance video captured the moment that the thugs made their break.

Surveillance video shows New Orleans inmates running away from jail after escape. Then look closely and you see them crossing the highway.
Four are alleged killers.https://t.co/5UzIcdBjgO pic.twitter.com/VJFFNaYCBq

— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) May 17, 2025

The escapees left behind a wall covered with taunting graffiti above where they made their exit. “To Easy LOL,” read one misspelled message. “I’m/We Innocent,” read another.

A law enforcement source shared a photo of a hole in the wall of the Orleans jail where 11 inmates reportedly escaped. Scribbled around the hole are messages including “To Easy LOL,” “Catch us when you can,” “We innocent,” “Most Hated,” and expletives. https://t.co/BYYesWprql pic.twitter.com/vtQSyTDBUT

— FOX 8 New Orleans (@FOX8NOLA) May 16, 2025

Four of the escapees are alleged killers, including one accused of offing a witness to a car heist and another accused of killing two men in a hit gone awry on Mardi Gras day in 2018. The rest have rap sheets chock full of thuggery including armed robbery, rape, assault, weapons possession, domestic abuse, drug trafficking and attempted murder.

The men should be considered to be armed and dangerous, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. They were discovered to be missing during a routine morning headcount at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, after which officials activated “emergency protocols” as a search for the escapees began. Three of the inmates have since been captured.

(Video: YouTube/WWLTV)

Sheriff Susan Hutson said it was “almost impossible to get out of this facility without help from the outside,” according to NOLA.com. “There were supervisors on duty. There were lower-level folks on duty, and they all had a job to do, and we’re going to find out what happened.”

The sheriff said that the jailbreak was very serious and unacceptable” and vowed that there will be an investigation into how it was allowed to happen, ABC News reported.

“We are launching a full investigation to determine how this escape occurred, including reviewing facility protocols, staff performance and physical security measures,” the sheriff added, vowing that anyone who aided the escapees will be held accountable.

“The remaining individuals are still being actively pursued, and our deputies, in collaboration with local and state law enforcement, are working tirelessly to locate and return them to custody,” the Sheriff’s Office pledged, and has been posting progress updates to X.

OPSO Jail Escape Update: Dkenan Dennis (DOB: 01/29/2001) has been captured and is in custody. He was apprehended at near Chef Menteur Hwy. and Dale Street.

Call Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at (504)822-1111 with your tips. pic.twitter.com/a0VUErxM01

— Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (@OrleansParishSO) May 17, 2025

OPSO Jail Escape Update: Dkenan Dennis (DOB: 01/29/2001has been captured and is in custody. He was apprehended near Chef Menteur Hwy. and Dale Street pic.twitter.com/Zx6t6YLViK

— Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (@OrleansParishSO) May 17, 2025

OPSO Jail Escape Update:
Robert Moody has been captured and is in custody pic.twitter.com/FIbFK432S2

— Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (@OrleansParishSO) May 17, 2025

“Someone clearly dropped the ball, and there’s no excuse for this,” said Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill in a statement posted to social media.

“The first priority in any escape must be the immediate capture of the inmates and coordination with state and local law enforcement — but that effort cannot come at the expense of timely notification to the public, which is also critical to keeping communities safe. My office will do whatever it takes to determine how this happened and make sure that it won’t happen again. I am calling for a full investigation – This is beyond unacceptable, and once these offenders are back in custody, there must be real accountability,” she added.

Staff Writer

Chris Donaldson is an ordinary American who is concerned about rampant corruption as well as the ongoing attacks on our way of life by those who have contempt for our hard-earned freedoms. A Navy veteran, he has been a frequent contributor to conservative websites and resides in Florida.

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