2 Women Arrested for Allegedly Assisting New Orleans Jail Escapees

Authorities allege one woman was in contact by phone with an escapee who remains at large and transported two fugitives to multiple locations in New Orleans.

(Top L-R): Dkenan Dennis, Gary C Price, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, and Corey E Boyd. (Bottom L–R): Lenton Vanburen Jr, Jermaine Donald, Antonine T Massey, Derrick D. Groves, and Leo Tate Sr. Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office via AP

Two women have been arrested and charged with felonies for allegedly assisting fugitives escape from the Orleans Justice Center last week, as law enforcement agencies intensify their search for five inmates still at large, according to Louisiana State Police.

The arrests come from the May 16 jailbreak that continues to reverberate across Louisiana, prompting Gov. Jeff Landry to issue an executive order on Wednesday mandating a sweeping, multi-agency response to what he called a “major breach” at the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility.

Louisiana State Police investigators determined that 32-year-old Cortnie Harris of New Orleans and 38-year-old Corvanntay Baptiste of Slidell played key roles in aiding the escapees, according to a May 21 press release.

Authorities allege Harris was in contact by phone with an escapee who remains at large and transported two fugitives to multiple locations in New Orleans. Baptiste, investigators allege, communicated with escapee Corey Boyd—who has since been recaptured—via phone and social media, and helped supply him with food while he hid in a residence.

Both Harris and Baptiste have been charged with one felony count each of accessory after the fact under Louisiana Revised Statute Title 14, Section 25. They were booked into the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, according to state police.

“Those who choose to assist or conceal these individuals are violating the law and will be held accountable. Harboring fugitives threatens the safety of our communities and will not be tolerated,” police said in their statement.

Under state law, a conviction for accessory after the fact carries a penalty of up to $500 in fines and up to five years in prison with or without hard labor, or both.

5 Inmates Still Unaccounted For

The escape, which authorities say was facilitated by a maintenance worker who allegedly shut off water to a cell at the request of an inmate, has resulted in an ongoing manhunt for five of the original 10 escapees, according to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office.

The worker, Sterling Williams, was arrested earlier this week and faces multiple felony charges. Williams told investigators he complied with the inmates’ instructions after being threatened, according to an arrest affidavit.

The inmates exploited a breach behind a toilet in a cell, slipped through a loading dock, scaled a barbed-wire fence using blankets, and fled across a nearby interstate highway under cover of darkness. The escape went undetected for more than seven hours, until a morning routine headcount revealed that the prisoners were missing.

Authorities have recaptured five of the escapees, including Corey Boyd, who faces second-degree murder charges, and Gary Price, who was apprehended by a SWAT team in New Orleans. The remaining fugitives are considered dangerous, and more than 200 officers from local, state, and federal agencies are involved in the search.