Two people are accused of helping multiple men who escaped from the Orleans Parish jail last Friday.
Cortnie Harris, 32, of New Orleans, and Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, of Slidell, were arrested by Louisiana State Police on Wednesday and charged as accessories after the fact.
Police say Harris communicated with one of the escapees by phone. He allegedly transported two of the fugitives, who remain at large, to multiple locations in New Orleans.
Investigators say Baptist had communicated with Corey Boyd via phone and social media, and helped him get food while he was hiding out in a residence. Boyd was arrested by Louisiana State Police on Tuesday.
Both Harris and Baptiste were transported and booked into the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center.
If convicted, they each face up to a $500 fine and/or a prison sentence of up to five years, with or without hard labor.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said that 10 men escaped from the facility early Friday morning by pulling a defective cell door off its tracks and climbing through a hole behind a toilet. Surveillance footage showed the group leaving the jail through a loading dock.
Three sheriff’s office staffers were suspended without pay. Sterling Williams, a 33-year-old maintenance worker at the jail, was arrested after he admitted to turning off the water in the cell before the men escaped, authorities said.
As of this writing, five of the escapees—Corey Boyd, Gary Price, Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, and Dkenan Dennis—have been captured.
Five others—Leo Tate, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Lenton Vanburen, and Antoine Massey—remain at large. More than 200 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers are currently involved in the search.
The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward per fugitive for information leading to an arrest. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is offering $5,000 per escapee, and Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $5,000 for each.
