A grandmother from Louisiana has become embroiled in the New Orleans jailbreak incident after being apprehended for her suspected role in aiding one of the escapees who is still at large.
Connie Weeden, aged 59 and residing in Slidell, has been detained and is currently in custody, facing significant felony accusations for allegedly acting as an accessory after the fact in relation to the audacious prison break.
Her grandson Jermaine Donald broke free from Orleans Justice Center on May 16 alongside nine other inmates following a dramatic toilet-hole breakout.
The escape left five prisoners unaccounted for, who managed to flee by cutting a hole behind a toilet and using it to exit the correctional facility.
Louisiana State Police revealed Weeden’s alleged involvement in a damning press release on May 22.
Investigators discovered that the grandmother was in regular contact with her fugitive grandson both before and after the jailbreak.
The investigation uncovered evidence that Weeden was speaking to Donald over the phone in the lead-up to the escape and continued providing assistance even after he had fled the facility.
A Louisiana grandmother, Connie Weeden, 59, was dragged into the jail escape saga after being arrested for allegedly helping one of the fugitive inmates who remains on the run
Five inmates are still roaming free after the brazen breakout which involved carving a hole behind a toilet and crawling through it to escape the facility
Police say she even provided cash to the dangerous fugitive through a mobile phone app, potentially helping to fund his life on the run.
The escapees still at large include Donald, 43, along with Derrick Groves, 28, Antoine Massey, 33, Leo Tate, 32, and Lenton Vanburen Jr., 27, according to Louisiana State Police officials.
The inmates who have been successfully located and returned to custody include Corey Boyd, 20, Kendall Myles, 21, Gary Price, 21, Dkenan Dennis, 24, and Robert Moody, 22.
This comes after a Louisiana jail worker was arrested after admitting to helping the group of violent criminals escape by turning off the water supply to their cell.
According to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, the inmates managed to escape from their cell after breaching a wall behind a toilet.
Authorities believe sheriff’s employees may have helped, and three have been suspended. On Tuesday, authorities announced their first staff arrest.
Sterling Williams, 33, confessed that one of the escapees ‘advised him to turn the water off in the cell’ before the men slipped away through the hole in the wall, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.
In an arrest affidavit, Williams said one of the inmates who escaped had threatened to ‘shank’ him if he did not turn off the water.
Her grandson Jermaine Donald broke free from Orleans Justice Center on May 16 alongside nine other inmates following a dramatic toilet-hole breakout
Williams said one of the inmates who escaped had threatened to ‘shank’ him if he did not turn off the water
Another inmate tried to take Williams’ phone and attempted to get him to bring a book with cash app information.
Williams, who worked in maintenance at the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, was arrested on Monday.
Authorities said by turning off the water, Williams ‘willfully and maliciously assisted with the escape.’
‘If the inmates removed the sink in the cell and disconnected the rest of the plumbing with the water still on, the plan to escape would not have been successful and potentially flooded the cell, drawing attention to their actions,’ the affidavit stated.
He was booked at Orleans Parish jail, then relocated to another facility and charged with 10 counts of simple escape and malfeasance in office.
‘This is a continuing investigation, and we will provide updates as often as possible. We will uncover all the facts eventually and anyone who aided and abetted will be prosecuted to the full extent the law allows,’ Murrill said.
‘I encourage anyone who knows anything and even those who may have provided assistance to come forward now to obtain the best possible outcome in their particular case.’
Ten dangerous inmates were discovered missing during a routine head count at Orleans Parish Jail Friday morning after escaping through a wall behind a toilet
Authorities believe sheriff’s employees may have helped with the escape, and three have been suspended
Sterling Williams (pictured), 33, has been arrested for helping a group of violent criminals escape by turning off the water to their cell block
During a New Orleans City Council meeting on Tuesday, Hutson said she ‘takes full accountability’ for the escape.
‘There were procedural failures and missed notifications, but there were also intentional wrongdoings – this was a coordinated effort aided by individuals inside our own agency who made the choice to break the law,’ she said. ‘We are continuing to pursue everyone involved.’
