It was a wild night at the Orleans Parish Jail as a total of 10 inmates managed to stage a grand escape, with only three of them, Kendall Myles, Robert Moody, and Dkenan Dennis, being recaptured so far. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the security failures, potential inside assistance, and infrastructure problems were to blame for the breach of public safety.
Kendall Myles, 20, was found hiding beneath a car at the Hotel Monteleone parking garage and taken back into custody. Robert Moody, 21, was captured in the 3500 block of Second Street after a Crime Stoppers tip. Dkenan Dennis, 24, was apprehended in New Orleans East. These escapees were swiftly transferred to a state prison via Louisiana State Police helicopter.
The escape began around 12:23 a.m. when detainees tampered with a locked cell door, broke it open, breached a wall behind a toilet, and fled through a loading dock door, scaling a wall before running across the interstate. The facility was on lockdown at the time, but defective locks and doors facilitated their escape. Three security cameras were inoperable, and the jail’s infrastructure was compromised.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson acknowledged the security lapses that allowed the inmates to escape, pointing to defective locks and possible inside assistance. Despite operating at 60% capacity and staffing shortages, Hutson emphasized that security breakdowns were previously flagged. Three OPSO employees have been suspended pending the investigation.
The remaining seven escapees are still at large and considered armed and dangerous. A multi-agency manhunt involving the NOPD, U.S. Marshals, Louisiana State Police, and local task force officers is underway. Authorities urge anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers. The FBI and ATF are offering rewards for tips, with the FBI surging resources to assist in locating the fugitives. Louisiana leaders have condemned the jailbreak, emphasizing the seriousness of the breach in public safety.
