New Orleans manhunt: 11 inmates escape from Louisiana jail, public warned to be on alert

New Orleans law enforcement are searching the city for 10 inmates who escaped from a Louisiana jail on Friday morning, and authorities are advising the public to be alert. 

An 11th man was captured earlier Friday, but the other 10 are still on the run. The inmates absences were noted at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time during a routine headcount, according to The Hill. 

At a news conference on Friday, Sheriff Susan Hutson said the inmates allegedly started yanking on a cell to pull it off track just before 12:30 a.m.

"They were able to break open a door," she said, according to NBC News. "They were still able to exit the jail about 1:01 a.m. after breaching a wall behind a toilet in the jail."

She said that video surveillance cameras showed them exiting through a door on the docks, scaling a wall and then running across the interstate highway.

New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said her agency was notified of the inmates disappearances at 10:30 a.m. local time, Fox News reported.

"This is an urgent and a serious situation," Kirkpatrick said during a news conference. "Please be mindful. We know or have asked for pictures of these escapees from the sheriff's office. … We do also want to make... I appeal to the public that if you see something, and you just think this is not right, don't hesitate. Call 911."

The 10 missing inmates have been identified as 42-year-old Jermaine Donald, 35-year-old Keith Lewis, 33-year-old Antoine Massey, 31-year-old Leo Tate, 27-year-old Lenton Vanburen, 27-year-old Derrick Groves, 24-year-old Dkenen Dennis, 21-year-old Gary Price, 21-year-old Robert Moody and 19-year-old Corey Boyd. 

Some of the men are wanted for crimes such as second-degree murder, domestic abuse and burglary, among others.

The man who was captured was identified as 20-year-old Kendell Myles, who was found in New Orleans' French Quarters.

“After a brief foot pursuit, he was apprehended on Royal Street,” Louisiana State Police said. “Troopers continue working with partners to locate the remaining escapees and ensure public safety.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.