10 Inmates Escape US Jail, Leave Taunting Message: “Catch Us When You Can”

Ten inmates, described as violent offenders, escaped from the Orleans Justice Centre in New Orleans, United States Friday, leaving behind a scene of brazen defiance and raising serious questions about security lapses, according to Fox News.

Officials discovered the escape during a morning headcount, revealing that the inmates had used a small window concealed behind a toilet to access a maintenance area. From there, they scaled a wall and fled the facility, according to Fox News. A witness reported seeing the group, dressed in orange jumpsuits, running across Interstate 10 in the dark.

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Adding insult to injury, the inmates left taunting graffiti on the wall around their escape route. Messages such as “Too Easy LOL”, “Catch us when you can”, and “Most Hated 9” were scrawled amidst profanity.

Sheriff Hutson has launched an internal investigation, suspecting inside assistance due to the fact that plumbing panels and the toilet could only be removed from the outside. Three employees have been suspended.

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Hutson also cited defective doors and locks and revealed that high-risk inmates were being housed in minimum-security conditions due to ongoing renovations on their previous unit. Staffing levels are at 60%, and one of the two employees monitoring the pod was absent, while the other had stepped away to get food.

“We acknowledge there were lapses in security,” the sheriff’s office said. Approximately one-third of the facility’s security cameras are currently inoperable.