Authorities have increased the reward to $50,000 per person for any information that leads to the arrest of the remaining fugitives who escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center in Louisiana two weeks ago.
The two escapees who are still on the run are Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves, according to the Louisiana State Police. The other eight inmates who escaped the jail on May 16 have been located and taken back into custody.
The group of 10 men was able to leave their jail cells due to faulty locks, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. They escaped from the building by going through a hole in the wall behind a toilet in the housing unit and then exiting through a loading dock door.
A 33-year-old maintenance worker at the jail has been accused of aiding in their escape after he turned off the water to the cell where the toilet was located. He's been charged with 10 counts of principle to simple escape and malfeasance in office.
Three women have been charged for individually assisting some of the men after they escaped, including allegedly providing them food, money and transportation.
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To submit an anonymous tip about the escapees, you can call the Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at (504) 822-1111, FBI New Orleans at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Louisiana State Police Fusion Center at (225) 925-4192.
Meanwhile, the jail that the inmates escaped from is dealing with ongoing flooding and infrastructure issues, the sheriff's office said in a statement posted to social media on Wednesday.
Plumbing issues are causing water to accumulate in parts of the facility despite emergency repairs.
"This is not just a facilities problem. It's a public safety issue, a staffing issue, and, most of all, a human dignity issue," said Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, adding that these issues need to be urgently addressed before the upcoming hurricane season in order to prevent a crisis.
