New Orleans authorities confident they'll recapture 7 jail escapees still at large
May 19 (UPI) -- Authorities in New Orleans are expressing confidence they will apprehend the remaining seven of 10 escaped inmates on the loose as they increase the reward for information on the whereabouts of the fugitives.
"We're confident at this time that we have actionable intelligence on all seven of these fugitives, and we hope in the coming day -- if not the coming hours -- that we have them all apprehended," Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges told reporters Sunday in a press conference.
Ten detainees escaped police custody at the Orleans Parish jail early Friday, sparking a manhunt that has so far led to the recapture of three of them.
A reward was offered for information resulting in any of their arrests, which was increased to $20,000 Sunday, with the FBI doubling its reward to $10,000 per inmate, while both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Crime Stoppers were each increasing their rewards to $5,000 an inmate.
"We need the public's help and we cannot do it alone," Hodges said. "More importantly, if you are helping and assisting these fugitives, allowing them to remain uncaptured and not brought to justice, there will be consequences and there may be charges for you."
Hodges emphasized that the recapture of these inmates occurred within the first 24 hours of their escape due to help from the public. Dkenan Dennis, 24, Kendell Myles, 23, and a 15-year-old male, have been relocated to another Louisiana state facility for their safety and the safety of others, Hodges said.
The seven inmates who remain at large have been identified as Corey Boyd, 19, Derrick Groves, 27, Jermaine Donald, 42, Lenton VanBuren, 26, Antoine Massey, 32, Leo Tate, 31, and Gary Price, 21.
"These are violent criminals and they escaped and they have consequences for their actions," Hodges said.
FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp told reporters they "strongly believe" the escaped inmates are receiving help to evade capture.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office said jail officials discovered the breakout at 8:30 a.m. local Friday during a routine headcount.
It was learned that the detainees were able to exit Thursday night due to "defective locks and doors," it said.
They next broke through a locked cell door at about 12:23 a.m. Friday before breaching a wall behind a toilet in their housing unit and then exiting the jail through a door at about 1 a.m., scaled a wall and fled across the interstate.
Three staff members have been suspended without pay amid an internal investigation into facility operations and supervision practices in connection to the escape, the sheriff's office said.
More than 200 officers with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are participating in the manhunt.
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CBS News
29 minutes ago
- CBS News
Downtown L.A. curfew goes into effect after California Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses ICE protests
California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a statewide address on Tuesday in the wake of immigration operations that sparked days of protest in Los Angeles and the deployment of hundreds of National Guard and U.S. Marines troops to the area by President Trump. "Trump, without consulting California leaders, commandeered 2,000 of our state's National Guard members to deploy on our streets illegally and for no reason," Newsom said. "This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president enflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk." The speech came on the heels of Mayor Karen Bass' decision to implement a curfew in downtown Los Angeles after five nights of unrest in the city center, and an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order filed by the state in its lawsuit to block further deployment of troops. That curfew resulted in dozens of arrests on Tuesday, with law enforcement swarming the impacted area as soon as it went into effect. Sporadic arrests followed. It was unclear how many were made in all. Since Friday, when the first operations took place in several downtown locations, protesters have taken to the streets to denounce the arrest of dozens of people. In some instances, protests have escalated into violent clashes that left an aftermath of destruction, including graffiti, looting, vandalism and debris. The next night, Mr. Trump declared that the National Guard would be deployed to Los Angeles to help quell the turmoil, despite opposition from California politicians who said it was largely unnecessary. That order was then followed by the deployment of 2,000 more National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to the area as the protests continued, something Newsom called "fanning the flames even harder." "The President, he did it on purpose. As the news spread throughout L.A., anxiety for family and friends ramped up and protests started again. By night, several dozen lawbreakers became violent and destructive, they vandalized property, they tried to assault police officers," Newsom said. "This situation was winding down and was concentrated in just a few square blocks downtown. But that, that's not what Donald Trump wanted." "What we're witnessing is not law enforcement — it's authoritarianism. What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complicit in this moment," Newsom said. "Do not give into him." Los Angeles police and protestors face off in Downtown L.A. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. Jason Armond Curfew issued During an evening press conference, Bass said that since demonstrations have continued to escalate into violence, resulting in dozens of arrests and more than 20 businesses looted, she would impose a curfew. "The curfew will be in place tonight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.," she said. "We certainly expect for it to last for several days." It runs for one-square mile in the downtown area from the 5 Freeway to the 110 Freeway and from the 10 Freeway to where the 110 Freeway and 5 Freeway merge. "The city of Los Angeles is a massive area, 502 square miles," Bass said. "The area of downtown, where the curfew will take place, is one square mile ... Some of the imagery of the protest, of the violence gives the appearance as though this is a citywide crisis and it is not." Protesters gather in front of California National Guard soldiers and LAPD officers guarding the Edward R. Roybal Federal building as protests continue in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. / Getty Images Demonstrations continue Tuesday Dozens gathered once again Tuesday, but police were quick to close in on the growing crowd near the Metropolitan Detention Center. With the CBS Los Angeles helicopter overhead, multiple people were seen being detained and loaded onto buses by officers. At around 4 p.m. a small crowd moved towards the 101 Freeway, briefly entering southbound lanes before they were met by the California Highway Patrol. Some officers stopped traffic as others formed a skirmish line to prevent the pedestrians from moving further into the road. Despite law enforcement blocking offramps and onramps for the thoroughfare, the crowd was able to gain entry through a hole that had been cut in a chainlink fence. On Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators flooded the same stretch of freeway, where they clashed with CHP officers. At around 7:30 p.m. CBS News Los Angeles reporters said that tensions again escalated outside of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, where people in the crowd began hurling projectiles towards a line of National Guard troops stationed out front. When the curfew went active 30 minutes later, dozens of LAPD officers arrived outside of the building, which prompted much of the crowd to begin leaving the area. Still, dozens of people attempted to hang around, resulting in their arrests. It's unclear exactly how many people were taken into custody. With the CBS News helicopter overhead, a group of dozens were seen still moving through the area, some stopping to tag the side of buildings and Metro buses. By 11 p.m. most of the people who had previously gathered downtown appeared to have left the area. A crowd of protesters outside of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. KCAL News How it started The protests began Friday night after several immigration raids took place in the Westlake District, downtown and South LA. The CBS News Los Angeles helicopter flew over the locations where crowds quickly formed, and protesters attempted to prevent federal agents from placing individuals into vans. One of the 45 people arrested that day was local union leader David Huerta. The protests that took place over the weekend were declared unlawful assemblies and people were ordered to disperse and clear the area. In each case there were small pockets of the demonstrations that turned chaotic, which included hundreds of people converging on the 101 Freeway to block traffic on Sunday afternoon. That same day, several Waymo vehicles were torched to the ground by one group of people. The day prior, hundreds of demonstrators clashed with law enforcement in Paramount and Compton. Reporters on the ground saw as law enforcement and troops dressed in riot gear attempted to clear crowds by using tear gas, beanbag rounds and flash bangs into crowds to try and disperse people. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that people who "lay a hand" on law enforcement officers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. So far, nearly 400 people have been arrested in the series of demonstrations, Newsom said on Tuesday. Protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025, marking the fifth consecutive day of anti-ICE protests. KCAL News National Guard and military in Los Angeles The Marines began arriving in the LA area on Tuesday morning, a defense official said, joining the thousands of National Guard troops already in the area to respond to the protests. Acting Defense Department comptroller Bryn MacDonnell testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and said the deployment of the National Guard will cost about $134 million. On Tuesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta asked a federal judge to provide a temporary restraining order to stop Mr. Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the U.S. Department of Defense from using the military and the National Guard to patrol the region and protect federal officers and facilities. The day before Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing the orders are unlawful and exceed the federal government's authority under the Tenth Amendment. "President Trump's order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles — over the objections of the Governor and local law enforcement — is unnecessary and counterproductive. It's also deeply unfair to the members of the National Guard who are hard at work every day protecting our state, preparing for and responding to emergencies, and training so that, if called, they can fight our nation's wars," Bonta said. Bass blamed the unrest in LA on the federal government's involvement, saying that before immigration enforcement actions last week, the city was "peaceful." During a speech at Fort Bragg on Tuesday, Mr. Trump called the protests "a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and a national sovereignty. He said that if it weren't for his calling in the National Guard, L.A. would be "burning to the ground right now" and that the majority of the demonstrations were allegedly "carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country" and that he would "liberate" L.A. Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla spoke with CBS News' Major Garrett on Tuesday regarding the actions of immigration enforcement and the several days of protests. He said that while the majority of the demonstrations have been peaceful, "the folks that show up after dark and are involved with the looting and the vandalism ... we denounce that." He called the ongoing situation a "crisis of Donald Trump's making." "The increasingly aggressive and cruel tactics of the immigration enforcement is what's prompting the response of people who are passionate about speaking up for our fundamental rights and due process, because the enforcement operations have gone far beyond just the violent criminals or the dangerous criminals that Donald Trump has promised," Padilla said. "It's raking in people who are otherwise innocent, hardworking women and men, children." He also denounced the deployment of military troops to the area. "The National Guard, to your point, it's not only not necessary here, it's counterproductive. Their presence is what's causing people to feel a little bit more on edge," he said. "As things have been quieting down a little bit more each day, now he's capturing that, not with a deescalation, but now potentially sending the Marines. Donald Trump is escalating the situation." Padilla, who grew up in the Pacoima area, served as president of the Los Angeles City Council and represented the San Fernando Valley in the state Senatre, says that the matter is "personal to me." "Los Angeles is my home. I am the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who worked so hard, who sacrificed so much to live their American dream. That's what the immigrant community is fighting for," he said. Protests take place across California Demonstrations have also taken place in cities across California in response to the events in Los Angeles. On Monday, a crowd of over 100 people gathered in Santa Ana outside the complex of federal buildings in the downtown area, some of which threw fireworks towards law enforcement officials who used crowd dispersal methods like smoke-filled canisters and pepper balls in return. The situation was much more peaceful on Tuesday, with a smaller group of people protesting in the same area without incident. "When a peaceful demonstration escalates into rocks, bottles, mortars, and fireworks being used against public service personnel, and property is destroyed, it is no longer a lawful assembly. It is a violation of the law," said a statement from Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez. "We will not stand by while our City is put at risk. Santa Ana Police officers, along with our mutual aid partners, are actively working to restore order. We urge everyone to go home." Tensions grew in San Francisco Monday night when police said two small groups of individuals committed vandalism and other criminal acts. Police said multiple people were arrested and detained after refusing to comply.
35 minutes ago
Pulse massacre survivors are set to revisit the nightclub before it's razed
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Survivors and family members of the 49 victims killed in the Pulse nightclub massacre nine years ago are getting their first chance Wednesday to walk through the long-shuttered, LGBTQ+-friendly Florida venue before it's razed and replaced with a permanent memorial to what was once the worst U.S. mass shooting in modern times. In small groups over four days, survivors and family members of those killed planned to spend a half hour inside the space where Omar Mateen opened fire during a Latin night celebration on June 12, 2016, leaving 49 dead and 53 wounded. Mateen, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, was killed after a three-hour standoff with police. At the time, it was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The Pulse shooting's death toll was surpassed the following year when 58 people were killed and more than 850 injured among a crowd of 22,000 at a country music festival in Las Vegas. The city of Orlando purchased the Pulse property in 2023 for $2 million and plans to build a $12 million permanent memorial which will open in 2027. Those efforts follow a multiyear, botched attempt by a private foundation run by the club's former owner. The existing structure will be razed later this year. 'None of us thought that it would take nine years to get to this point and we can't go back and relitigate all of the failures along the way that have happened, but what we can do is control how we move forward together," Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said two weeks ago when county commissioners pledged $5 million to support the city of Orlando's plan. The opportunity to go inside the nightclub comes on the ninth anniversary of the mass shooting. Outside, over-sized photos of the victims, rainbow-colored flags and flowers have hung on fences in a makeshift memorial, and the site has attracted visitors from around the globe. But very few people other than investigators have been inside the structure. Around 250 survivors and family members of those killed have responded to the city's invitation to walk through the nightclub this week. Families of the 49 people who were killed can visit the site with up to six people in their group, and survivors can bring one person with them. The people invited to visit are being given the chance to ask FBI agents who investigated the massacre about what happened. They won't be allowed to take photos or video inside. Brandon Wolf, who hid in a bathroom as the gunman opened fire, said he wasn't going to visit, primarily because he now lives in Washington. He said he wanted to remember Pulse as it was before. 'I will say that the site of the tragedy is where I feel closest to the people who were stolen from me,' said Wolf, who now is national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, a LGBTQ+ advocacy group. 'For survivors, the last time they were in that space was the worst night possible. It will be really hard to be in that space again.' Mental health counselors planned to be on hand to talk to those who walk through the building. Survivors and family members had hoped to have a permanent memorial in place by now. But an earlier effort by a private foundation to build one floundered, and the organization disbanded in 2023. Barbara and Rosario Poma and businessman Michael Panaggio previously owned the property, and Barbara Poma was the executive director of the onePulse Foundation — the nonprofit that had been leading efforts to build a memorial and museum. She stepped down as executive director in 2022 and then left the organization entirely in 2023 amid criticism that she wanted to sell instead of donate the property. There were also complaints about the lack of progress despite millions of dollars being raised. The original project, unveiled in 2019 by the onePulse Foundation, called for a museum and permanent memorial costing $45 million. That estimate eventually soared to $100 million. The city of Orlando has since outlined a more modest proposal and scrapped plans for a museum. 'The building may come down, and we may finally get, a permanent memorial, but that doesn't change the fact that this community has been scarred for life,' Wolf said. 'There are people inside the community who still need and will continue to need support and resources.'
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Cape Town couple arrested on child porn charges allegedly abused their own children
A Bloubergstrand couple has been arrested for the alleged sexual abuse of their two daughters, aged 3 and 8. They have been accused of producing child pornography and other sexual offences. According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk, a multidisciplinary team comprising members of the national and Western Cape Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Units, and officials from the Department of Social Development (DSD), supported by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), arrested the 47-year-old woman and 48-year-old man in Bloubergstrand on Tuesday. They were found at a house identified through joint investigative efforts. They face multiple charges, including the production of CSAM (commonly referred to as child pornography), rape, sexual assault, and sexual grooming. The two children were rescued during the operation and have since been put in a place of safety. Several electronic devices were seized. Last month, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) seized assets, including a luxury vehicle and R647 300 in cash belonging to Darryn Wilken and his girlfriend, Tiona Megan Moodley. Investigations by various law enforcement agencies, including the US Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), led to their arrests. The couple faces charges for allegedly running a child pornography website, offering material for sale internationally. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said along with the cash and vehicle, the unit also seized high-end electronic equipment. 'It (Wilken's luxury vehicle) brazenly reflected a registration number 'KIDZ NA GP'. The luxury vehicle, high-end electronic equipment and R647 300 in cash were the subjects of the search and seizure warrant,' she said.
