In brief
Derrick Groves, a 28-year-old fugitive implicated in a notorious jail escape, was finally captured in Atlanta after a five-month manhunt. Following a stand-off where police used gas canisters, Groves was found hiding in a crawl space. He faces additional charges related to his escape and will be extradited back to Louisiana to face justice.
Five months after 10 inmates broke out of a Louisiana jail, the last escapee has been captured, Louisiana State Police confirmed on Wednesday.
The escaped inmate, 28-year-old Derrick Groves, was taken into custody in Atlanta, Georgia, after a brief stand-off, police said.
Police released several gas canisters into a house where Groves was believed to be hiding, and then found him hiding in a crawl space, CBS News reported.
The 10 inmates, including Groves, had fled the Orleans Parish Justice Center in May by ripping a toilet from the wall and breaking metal bars around the hole in the wall before climbing down a hall and running across a highway.
The inmates had scrawled a few messages into the wall above the hole, including 'To Easy LoL', a smiley face with its tongue sticking out, and another that appeared to tell officers to catch them if they can.
The escape was made easier by a 'perfect storm' of staffing issues and building design flaws, according to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson.
Groves, who was convicted of second-degree murder after firing an assault rifle into a Mardi Gras block party and killing two people, now faces additional charges for his role in the escape. He will be extradited to Louisiana for processing.
