Inmate manages to escape from a Louisiana jail for the second time in a year
(Metro Creative Services)
A Louisiana jail inmate who escaped from a parish jail about a year ago has accomplished the same feat again, authorities said.
Tra'Von Johnson, 19, made his latest escape Thursday from the Tangipahoa Parish Jail, which has a history of jailbreaks involving a half-dozen inmates in recent years, the sheriff's office announced. Johnson had been awaiting a trial for his alleged role in a home invasion that left a man killed and a child injured, authorities said.
Authorities say they became suspicious when a member of the public called the sheriff's office shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday, questioning whether Johnson was still in custody.
'Following an immediate headcount of the jail population and a review of Johnson's movements throughout the day, it was determined Johnson escaped around 4:30 p.m. when another inmate helped lift him over the perimeter fence,' the sheriff's office said in a statement.
Law officers are now searching for Johnson and also contacting victims and reaching out to Johnson's relatives and associates, the sheriff's office said.
In the summer of 2024, Johnson was among a group of four inmates who escaped from the jail over the Memorial Day weekend by crawling under a gap in a wall and then scaling two razor-wire fences. Three of the escapees including Johnson were captured within days, but it took six months to apprehend the fourth fugitive.
Manpower shortages, inadequate staff training and experience, a lack of supervision and insufficient head counts contributed to the escape last year, authorities said at the time.
In 2017, two brothers being held on charges that included attempted murder escaped from the jail's exercise yard and were recaptured the next day, WBRZ-TV reported at the time.
Tangipahoa Parish is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans.
The latest Tangipahoa Parish jailbreak comes as state and federal law officers continue hunting for five of the 10 inmates who escaped from a jail in New Orleans. In that case, the inmates squeezed through a small hole after removing a toilet. The message 'To Easy LOL' was left on the cell room wall, with an arrow pointing to the hole.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
8 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Plymouth cafeteria director charged with ordering lobster, stealing kitchen equipment equipment, for use at his Cape Cod snack shack
His bail was set at $50,000. If he posts it, VanCott must stay away from all Plymouth schools and storage facilities if released, the statement said. He is due back in court July 21. VanCott has been employed as the food services director for Plymouth Public Schools since 2003, according to his Advertisement He was first flagged by authorities on May 30 after they received an anonymous tip that someone was stealing food and equipment from Plymouth Community Intermediate School. Since VanCott was the only person authorized to place cafeteria orders, he was quickly identified as the suspect, the statement said. A review of purchase records revealed premium Angus burgers, hot dogs, lobster, and other items that were never served students or staff, according to the statement—and all of which appear on the Snack Shack's Advertisement Investigators also spoke with cafeteria employees, who said that for years, once a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day, VanCott had them pack bags of deli turkey and ham marked with his initials, for no apparent school use. They also said that he routinely took condiments, snacks, paper goods, coffee and other supplies from the kitchen, according to the statement. Additionally, VanCott allegedly purchased more than $8,300 worth of kitchen equipment which was not found in the cafeteria or school storage, the statement said. This includes under-counter refrigerators and freezers, a refrigerated sandwich table, convection oven, microwave, bagel warmer, coffee maker and two fry pans. Surveillance footage from a Saturday allegedly shows him loading one of those under-counter refrigerators onto a town-owned truck and later returning in his personal pickup to transport a second unit. Additional video from the State Police Fusion Center then shows his pickup crossing the Sagamore Bridge with the stolen refrigerator secured in its bed, bound for Cape Cod, the statement said. The investigation is ongoing. Rita Chandler can be reached at
8 hours ago
Jurors have convicted a Minnesota man of killing 5 young woman in a 2023 vehicle crash
MINNEAPOLIS -- A state court jury convicted a Minneapolis-area man Friday of third-degree murder and vehicular homicide in the deaths of five young women in a crash that authorities said was caused by him speeding, running a red light and slamming into their car. Jurors in Hennepin County District Court deliberated two days before reaching their verdict in the case of Derrick John Thompson, 29, of Brooklyn Park, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported. In November, a federal court jury convicted Thompson on drug and firearms charges because investigators found a handgun, ammunition and illegal drugs in his vehicle after the June 2023 crash, and he is awaiting sentencing in that case. He was convicted Friday of 15 charges and his sentencing is set for July 24. Third-degree murder is unintentionally causing a death through 'eminently dangerous' actions and with 'a depraved mind, without regard for human life.' 'His choices that day scarred many lives and affected an entire community,' Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told reporters following the verdict, according to KARE-TV. The Minneapolis crash victims — Salma Abdikadir, Siham Adam, Sabiriin Ali, Sahra Gesaade and Sagal Hersi — were between 17 and 20 years old, on their way home from preparations for a friend's wedding. Their deaths sparked sorrow and outage among Minnesota's sizeable Somali American population. Prosecutors have said Thompson was driving a black Cadillac Escalade on a Minnesota freeway at 95 mph (153 kph) in a 55 mph- (89 kph-) speed zone and abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway, flying by a state highway patrol trooper. Thompson's defense attorney, Tyler Bliss, raised questions about whether Thompson's brother might have played a role in the crash that authorities did not investigate. The brother was not charged and testified that he didn't drive the SUV the night of the crash and Thompson was the last person he saw behind the wheel. Bliss called that testimony 'self-serving.' Thompson previously served part of an eight-year prison sentence in California in connection with a 2018 hit-and-run accident that severely injured a woman in the Santa Barbara area. He was released from prison there months before the crash in Minneapolis. Court records show that Thompson is the son of a former Democratic state representative from St. Paul who was sharply critical of police during his one term in office.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Memorial Day weekend records most boating while intoxicated charges in 5 years
TYLER, Texas (KETK) — Texas game wardens saw the highest number of boating while intoxicated charges and responded to several boating collisions this past Memorial Day weekend, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) said. Disturbance call at Cascades subdivision leads to officer-involved shooting in Tyler Memorial Day weekend is a holiday meant to honor and celebrate the lives of military personal who lost their lives while fighting for our freedom. However, some Americans can take the celebration too far and when alcohol is combined with getting behind the wheel of a boat, it sometimes leads to bad outcomes. The Texas game wardens witnessed these outcomes this past Memorial Day weekend. 48 packages of hydroponic marijuana seized during East Texas traffic stop 'Our wardens don't just patrol the water, they serve wherever they're needed,' TPWD law enforcement director Colonel Ron VanderRoest said. 'This weekend was a good example of the depth of their commitment to public safety, responding in severe weather, major fire incidents and high-risk law enforcement situations.' The Texas game wardens took care of business as they conducted over 10,000 vessel checks along with issuing more than a thousand warnings and citations. Wardens also saw more serious charges including 53 boating while intoxicated, seven driving while intoxicated and 21 other arrest. Six boating collisions were reported with one them resulting in a death at Grapevine Lake. Two drownings were reported at Red River and Elmendorf Lake along with a 5-year-old girl who was recued after being blown away on an inflatable tube at the Falcon International Reservoir, according to TPWD. Online East Texas predator sentenced after sexual relationship with out-of-state minor 'When alcohol, crowded waterways and severe weather are in the mix, the risk of incidents can rise fast,' Texas Parks and Wildlife Department assistant commander for marine enforcement Cody Jones said. 'That's why we prioritize presence, visibility and swift response. We can't be everywhere at once, so we need the public to meet us halfway by boating responsibly. We are thankful for everyone who did over the holiday weekend.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
