Five inmates are still on the LAM after fleeing the New Orleans prison. Some of the closest people to crime are on the edge, but other residents say they are not living because they are afraid.
New Orleans Prison employee arrested in connection with the escape of a detainee
Sterling Williams was arrested and accused of helping 10 inmates be released from New Orleans prisons, authorities said.
It’s typical lively Tuesday as waiters yell customers’ orders to prepare food at Daisy May’s Southern Fried Chicken & Breakfast in New Orleans. But outside is not normal.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers are scrutinizing the streets for inmates who escaped the city’s prison on May 16th. The search spills into the famous French district of the city where several escapees were seen on video while driving. One inmate was found hiding under a car in the garage of one of the city’s most fashionable hotels.
Still, the city remains vibrant, says Tess Gonzalez, manager of Daisy May. Gonzalez said he was worried about the six escaped prisoners not yet on the streets, but he is also relieved that five people were captured in five days.
“It’s both yes and no. They’re dangerous criminals, so we’re concerned about our safety,” Gonzalez told USA Today. “But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to stop living our lives.”
Gonzalez, 53, quickly mentions New Orleans’ resilience during tough times like Hurricane Katrina. She recalls the city quickly rebound after an armed man drove a speeding truck into a New Year’s Day revelry on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring more officials who called it a domestic terrorist attack.
After the escape, authorities urged the public to remain vigilant but not panic, even if they suspected that both inside and outside the prison had helped the escape. The bold escape from the large facility for a long time has put some of the closest people to fugitive crimes on the edge, and other New Orleans residents say they are working on business as usual.
“We’re going to keep it moving here. This city will never stop. We’ll keep it. We have to,” Gonzalez said.
“I’m not looking over my shoulder.”
The inmate escaped early on May 16th and tore the door to the “flawed” cell out of its track, police said. Maintenance workers will be forced, cell phones will be sealed, and escapes will allow the toilet and sinking units to be ripped off and climbed through the hole in the wall, officials said.
The group then fled the loading dock, expanded the wall and ran along the nearby highway in a brave escape, photographed with security cameras. Multiple outlets report leaving messages on walls that slam the guards.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the escape could be “the biggest jailbreak in the history of the state.” But New Orleans resident Caliegh Flynn said it hasn’t stopped her or her city.
“I’ve never thought about my safety ever since,” said Flynn, 35. “There were more people out of town talking to me about escape than people living here. My mother texted me and told me to lock my door.”
Flynn, an administrative assistant teaching film and part-time university professor, said he is well aware of New Orleans’ status as an international tourist destination known for his Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl hosts. She also knows it is usually one of the most dangerous cities in America.
She’s trying to stay strong.
“Fear of possibilities can make you fear that you do things, meet others, and that’s inconsistent with the way people want to live here,” said Flynn, who lived in New Orleans for 11 years. “I haven’t looked over my shoulder wondering about this escape.”
Flynn said escape was an embarrassing thing for New Orleans, and escape was embarrassing given that much of the city’s budget is spent on public safety, not on schools or infrastructure. But Flynn, who lived in other cities, including Philadelphia, Ohio and Youngstown, said New Orleans residents seemed more resistant to disruption than most places she went.
“People in New Orleans are used to being crazy, whether it’s hurricane-related weather-related, corruption-related politics, or crime-related,” Flynn said.
“Fear of retaliation”
The still massive escape awaited trial on charges of murder, aggravated assault and domestic abuse.
Anne Kirkpatrick, the New Orleans Police Department superintendent, said at a May 20 city council meeting, that law enforcement will not only protect the public, but also victims, witnesses and judges will jump into action to protect judges related to prisoner criminal cases.
“We were very aggressive,” Kirkpatrick said. “We’re going to play police cars at school.”
But the families of 21-year-old Byron Jackson and 26-year-old Jammer Robinson say they still feel they’re not safe.
Jackson and Robinson were killed in a shooting throughout Mardi Gras in 2018. Derrick Groves, 27, was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, “believing in violence about the violence.”
After Groves escaped on May 16th, one of Jackson’s relatives left his home in Orleans Parish and stayed with his girlfriend in another part of town, saying he was afraid of his safety.
Groves’ imprisonment came after years of legal stories. He was initially convicted in 2019, but according to the district attorney, he had to try again in January 2023. It ended with Mistrial after the ju apprentice read the media accounts of the case, and the second retrial in June 2023 ended with the ju apprentice.
After Groves’ second belief, Jackson’s relatives who asked not to be identified due to safety concerns said they felt he had finally become just and could move on. Escape now puts them on the edge.
The prosecutor who placed the grower behind the bar is also worried. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams told reporters that two lawyers who tried to file a lawsuit with him left town with their family “out of fear of retaliation and retaliation.”
“I personally fear,” Williams admitted.
The fear of Williams and his staff is no different from other residents, said Miangel Cody, a federal criminal defense lawyer and a New Orleans resident.
“I think we all have serious concerns about the safety of our community, and that’s what precedes this escape,” Cody said.
One of Robinson’s family members said she too ran away from New Orleans with her children and grandchildren after the fields fled. She also asked not to be identified for their safety.
Robinson’s relatives say they don’t want to leave where he grew up, but they don’t know if they’ll feel safe in New Orleans even after the fields are caught. She said she was irritated and angry with the officials who run the prison.
The appeal is growing for Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson to resign. But back at Daisy May’s diner, Gonzalez said he was grateful that many law enforcement agencies are joining forces to catch the escape, just like they did after the terrorist attacks.
“We’re delighted that they’re working with everyone to make us feel safe,” she said.
As for the rest of the escape, Gonzalez believes he may soon lose his options.
“They can run for a long time because criminals are criminals and they may do something, move, or make mistakes,” Gonzalez said. “It’s only a matter of time.”
Contributions: Jeanine Santucci and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today. Reuters
