Former Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, Ronal Serpas, has voiced criticism regarding what he terms a “checkered past” of New Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson after ten inmates managed to escape from a parish jail last week.
Following the escape, which occurred through a hole located behind a toilet in one of the jail cells on the morning of May 16, authorities have been able to recapture five of the individuals and have also arrested a correctional officer connected to the breakout.
“Sheriff Hutson has faced numerous issues over the last 15 years in New Orleans,” Serpas stated to Fox News Digital. “These include various administrative failures in her roles as the former independent police monitor, as sheriff, and in managing the consent decree. Additionally, she has faced multiple ethical complaints, some of which the Louisiana Ethics Board has substantiated.”
Sheriff Susan Hutson arrives for a City Council meeting Tuesday, May 20, 2025, after 10 inmates escaped Friday from the Orleans Parish Justice Center in New Orleans. (Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate)
Hutson has also received criticism for declining jail conditions at the Orleans Justice Center, including drug smuggling, inmate violence and inadequate mental health care. Federal monitors have noted major gaps in safety and supervision in biannual reports on the Orleans Parish jail.
FOX 8 found that Hutson’s office has regressed in four jail safety and supervision categories since the last sheriff’s administration, while the remainder are the same as the previous administration.
Monitors “witnessed the most unsupervised jail units in recent memory once Sheriff Susan Hutson took over,” the report states, according to FOX 8.
New Orleans jail escapee Gary Price is escorted to a helicopter by police. (Louisiana State Police)
Hutson proposed a tax increase to generate $11.7 million annually for the sheriff’s office, but 91% of voters rejected the measure.
Between 2022 and 2024, the sheriff’s office lost 17 employees, and Hutson expressed a need for 150 additional deputies to manage a 500-person increase in inmates since she took office.
To reestablish trust with the public after the jailbreak, the sheriff’s office must first apprehend all 10 escapees, Serpas said.
“The public expects the local, state and federal agencies will work together, which we have clear evidence of,” the former superintendent said. “I think the next jury that is out, if you will, is there is an upcoming sheriff’s election. And in New Orleans, my hometown … in Sheriff Hutson’s race, when she won, 25% of voters went to the poll. We need people to go to the poll and challenge the candidates.”
New Orleans jail escapee Gary Price is captured by police. (Louisiana State Police)
Anyone found aiding an escapee will be charged as an accomplice, according to New Orleans authorities. The FBI is offering rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the escaped inmates. Crime Stoppers is also offering a $2,000 reward per inmate.
The five men who remain on the run are:
- Lenton J. Vanburen Jr., 26, faces charges of illegal carrying of weapons, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, obstruction of justice and introducing contraband in prison.
- Jermaine Donald, 42, faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon and obstruction of justice.
- Antoine Massey, 32, faces charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle and a parole violation.
- Derrick Groves, 27, faces three counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and battery of a correctional facility employee.
- Leo O. Tate Sr., 31, faces charges of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, illegal carrying of a weapon, motor vehicle theft and multiple drug counts.
A violent offender warrant squad is searching for the escapees along with the FBI and U.S. Marshals. More than 200 law enforcement officers are assisting with the search.
Fox News’ Ashley Papa, Alexandra Koch, Peter D’Abrosca and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
