After a five-month search, the last of ten inmates who escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center in New Orleans has been apprehended. Authorities confirmed the capture of 28-year-old Derrick Groves in Atlanta, Georgia. The escapees had created a hole in the wall behind a toilet, breaking through metal bars to make their daring escape.
Groves was found hiding in a crawl space within a house after police deployed gas canisters. He is now facing additional charges related to the escape, alongside his previous conviction for second-degree murder, attempted murder, and a federal firearms charge. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment for a fatal shooting at a Mardi Gras block party in October 2024.
The escape highlighted issues with staffing and building design at the jail. While several inmates were recaptured shortly after the breakout, Groves remained at large until this recent arrest.