Troopers with Louisiana State Police escort Orleans Parish Prison escapee Lenton Vanburen to a waiting vehicle at Louisiana State Police Headquarters after he was captured in Baton Rouge, La., on May 26, 2025. Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP
Three of the 10 inmates who escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center on May 16 were recaptured on Monday in two states, authorities said. Two more inmates are still on the run.
Lenton Vanburen was arrested by police in Baton Rouge, while Leo Tate and Jermaine Donald were captured in Walker County, Texas, by the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to Louisiana State Police.
Police found Vanburen sitting on a bench near a department store after receiving an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen, the Baton Rouge Police Department said in a statement.
Tate and Donald were arrested after leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase through the Huntsville area, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“The pursuit ended near US 190 and Geneva, where both subjects were taken into custody,” it stated on Facebook. “Both Donald and Tate were taken to the Walker County Jail for processing.”
Vanburen was originally incarcerated on firearm and parole violation charges. Tate had been jailed on firearm and burglary charges, while Donald was initially held on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
All three will face additional charges related to the jailbreak, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill statedon social media.
Authorities previously recaptured Corey Boyd, Gary Price, Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, and Dkenan Dennis. The two remaining inmates, Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey, are still at large.
Louisiana State Police said in a statement that several individuals have been arrested for allegedly assisting the fugitives.
“These arrests were the result of a multi-agency collaborative investigation with our local, state, and federal partners. The investigation continues and additional arrests may be forthcoming,” police stated.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued an executive order on May 21, calling for an immediate response from multiple state agencies to address a major breach at the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility.
In a statement, Landry said that his top priority would be ensuring public safety in the wake of the jailbreak, vowing that “no effort will be spared in bringing those responsible to justice.”
The order directs the Department of Corrections (DOC) to review the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility for compliance with “basic jail guidelines” and relocate all DOC inmates currently held in that facility.
Last week, police arrested Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, for allegedly aiding the brazen escape of the 10 inmates from the Orleans Justice Center on May 16.
(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
Williams faces 10 counts of principal to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office. According to the state attorney general’s office, Williams admitted to investigators that one of the inmates instructed him to shut off the water in a cell.
Rather than report the suspicious request, Williams allegedly complied, enabling the inmates to exploit a breach in the facility’s infrastructure, a hole behind a toilet, according to Murrill’s office.
Law enforcement agencies have offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of each escaped inmate—$10,000 from the FBI and $5,000 each from Crimestoppers GNO and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—according to the state police.
Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
Aldgra Fredly
Author
Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.
