New Orleans Jail Escape: 3 Inmates Caught
- Authorities have apprehended three of the five inmates who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in new Orleans on May 16.
- Jermaine Donald, 42, facing a second-degree murder charge, and leo Tate, 31, held on burglary and firearms charges, were captured in Walker County, TX, north of houston.
- Separately,Lenton Vanburen,26,jailed for firearms offenses and parole violations,was apprehended in Baton Rouge,LA,city police said.
Three Orleans Justice Center escapees are back in custody, but teh search continues for two “extremely perilous” inmates following a brazen jailbreak on May 16. authorities, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, apprehended Jermaine Donald and Leo Tate in Texas, while Lenton Vanburen was caught in Baton Rouge. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill confirmed all three will face additional charges. A complex multi-agency effort, spearheaded by Deputy U.S. Marshals, led to the capture of the escapees, highlighting the challenges in locating the remaining fugitives. Derrick Groves remains at large, alongside another inmate, as officials investigate allegations of assisting the escape, possibly involving a jail maintenance worker. news Directory 3 is following this ongoing story closely. Discover what’s next as the investigation unfolds.
Three New orleans Inmates Recaptured after Jailbreak
Updated May 27, 2025
Authorities have apprehended three of the five inmates who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in new Orleans on May 16. The search continues for the remaining two, who are considered ”extremely dangerous,” according to Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair.
Jermaine Donald, 42, facing a second-degree murder charge, and leo Tate, 31, held on burglary and firearms charges, were captured in Walker County, TX, north of houston. The Texas Department of public Safety made the arrests, according to the orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Separately,Lenton Vanburen,26,jailed for firearms offenses and parole violations,was apprehended in Baton Rouge,LA,city police said. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill stated that all three will face additional charges related to the escape.
Fair credited the capture of Donald and Tate to a multi-agency effort that tracked them to the Houston area. He noted that the U.S. Marshals Office for the Southern district of Texas acted on a “collateral lead,” leading to a traffic stop and the inmates’ arrest.
Derrick Groves, one of the two still at large, was convicted of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder last October. Fair emphasized the remaining escapees could be anywhere, despite having a support network in the New Orleans area.
Several individuals, including Sterling Williams, a jail maintenance worker, are accused of assisting in the escape. Murrill alleged Williams cut off water to a cell’s toilet, allowing inmates to remove it. Williams faces charges of principle to simple escape and malfeasance in office.
an affidavit claims Williams said an inmate threatened to harm him if he didn’t help. Williams’ lawyer disputes this, stating he was only fixing a clogged toilet and unaware of any escape plan. The inmates allegedly sawed through steel bars after removing the toilet, then scaled a barbed-wire fence using blankets.
What’s next
The examination continues as authorities work to locate the remaining two escapees and determine the full extent of the assistance they received. The captured inmates will face prosecution for both their original charges and the escape itself.