Latest news with #inmateescape
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Urgent manhunt for heavily tattooed prison inmate who escaped on a tractor two days ago
A manhunt is underway for an inmate who escaped a prison farm on a tractor. Michael Graeme Rennie, 43, was last seen using the machinery while working at Lotus Glen Low Custody Correctional Centre in far north Queensland. Rennie likely left the farm on a red tractor on Sunday morning, Detective Inspector Jason Chetham said. 'I haven't heard that one before,' he told reporters on Monday. 'There have obviously been prisoners abscond from the corrections centre up there in the past but I don't think anyone's left on a tractor.' Police are on the lookout for the heavily tattooed Rennie who is serving more than six years for motor vehicle, weapon, drug and other offences including serious assault, theft and burglary. Police have released a photo of Rennie and the tractor he was using when he escaped the Atherton Tablelands prison farm near Cairns on Sunday. 'The Tablelands is an agricultural centre so tractors on the road I don't think are something that would turn a lot of heads, but we're keen to find it anyway,' Det Insp Chetham said. Rennie is described as Caucasian and 174cm tall, with blue eyes and fair hair. He has multiple tattoos across his body including a gun on his left shoulder, a demon holding a skull with horns on his left arm, a full sleeve on his right arm. Rennie also has multiple dog bites and scars on his left arm, police said. He was from the state's far north and there had been a 'number of sightings' of the tractor, Det Insp Chetham said. 'We don't have specific concerns about what he might do in the community ... but we certainly ask people not to approach him and to call us immediately if they have any information,' he said. A 28-year-old man serving two years for break-and-enter offences escaped from the prison farm in February 2023, and was arrested three days later.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Baton Rouge man accused of helping New Orleans inmate arrested on drug charges
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A man accused of helping an inmate escape from New Orleans has been arrested by Livingston Parish deputies on multiple drug and contraband charges. Authorities captured Lenton Vanburen, an escapee from the Orleans Parish Jail, on May 26 in the 9600 block of Old Hammond Highway. During the arrest, officers found a key to a room at the Super 6 Inn and Suites. Investigators spoke with hotel staff and learned the room was registered to Vi Duc Nguyen. Surveillance video confirmed Nguyen had reserved the room and was seen entering the stairwell with another individual wearing clothing similar to Vanburen's. Authorities arrested Nguyen on charges of simple escape/aggravated escape and accessory after the fact. He was released on bond Friday, according to jail records. 'I'm not going anywhere': Baton Rouge man survives shooting while improving his community According to the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, Nguyen also faces the following charges: Manufacture/distribution of Schedule II drugs. Possession of Schedule IV drugs. Distribution/manufacture of Schedule III drugs. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Contraband in a penal institution. Baton Rouge man accused of helping New Orleans inmate arrested on drug charges Air traffic controller says its 'safe to fly' but 'avoid Newark' Man sues Walt Disney World over Florida water slide's 'exhilarating speeds' Turmoil, worry swirl over cuts to key federal agencies as hurricane season begins Report: Airbnb brought $900M to Louisiana in 2024 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lexington man escapes jail by claiming to be brother scheduled for release
BEATTYVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — A search is underway by Kentucky State Police (KSP) after an inmate escaped the Three Forks Regional Jail on Thursday afternoon. Troopers were told by jail staff that the escape happened just before 5 p.m. on Thursday, according to a news release. Jeffrey Harrison, 43, of Lexington, had been 'inadvertently released after falsely identifying himself as his brother, who was scheduled for release,' state police wrote. Harrison is a white man with brown hair and blue eyes. He's 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighing 138 pounds. 1 arrested, 1 taken to hospital after stabbing near Danville boutique Lexington man escapes jail by claiming to be brother scheduled for release Kentucky man killed during Washington County tornado identified KSP said he was last seen wearing a red jacket, camo shoes, and a black hat. Harrison may have left the area in an older model of a white Subaru. Harrison was reportedly serving a sentence for first-degree promotion of contraband. Anyone with information that might help law enforcement find Harrison is asked to call KSP Post 7 in Richmond at (859) 623-2404. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
4 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Family and friends of escaped New Orleans inmates arrested for aiding in jail breakout
A group of New Orleans inmates who broke out two weeks ago have received help from friends and family who provided food, cash, transport and shelter according to court documents. In the early morning hours of May 16, 10 inmates broke out of the Orleans Justice Center by derailing a cell door, pulling a toilet off its mounting and squeezing through an opening in the wall. Records show how some of the fugitives received aid before and after their escape — including from a number of people named in police reports but not yet facing charges. One former jail employee is accused of driving escapee Lenton Vanburen to a relative's home and helping him FaceTime family the day of the escape. Another friend later offered him a vacant apartment to hide inside. Police officials add many others sent money via apps, lied to authorities during interrogation and messaged or called the fugitives. Some are now held on bonds $1 million or higher and most face the felony charge of accessory after the fact. With eight of the 10 men now captured, authorities are continuing to hunt down convicted murderer Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey, who faces kidnapping and rape charges. Authorities on Thursday raised the reward to $50,000 per fugitive and stressed that friends and family are key to capturing the two remaining escapees. 'We understand that some of you might be reporting a friend, a loved one, a relative and albeit not easy, it is critical to your safety and the safety of the public that you report them,' Jonathan Tapp, special agent in charge of FBI New Orleans, said Thursday. Former jail employee appears linked to escape After the audacious escape in the early hours of May 16, a woman who police described as 'associated' with Groves 'picked up' and transported escapee Vanburen to a relative's residence, the documents show. She then video-called Vanburen's sisters, who came to meet him. This woman — who has not been charged with aiding in the escape — shares the same name as a former Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office employee, according to court records. In 2023, that employee was arrested for bringing a folding knife and a bag of Cheetos containing tobacco and marijuana into the jail. The charges were dropped in part due to the woman's lack of criminal history and she 'successfully completed' a pretrial diversion program, the Orleans Parish District Attorney's office told The Associated Press. The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office did not respond to request for comment. In a text message to an AP reporter, the woman denied bringing in contraband or aiding fugitives. Separately, authorities arrested a jail plumber they say helped the men escape, but his attorney maintains he was just trying to unclog a toilet. Phone records aid in arrests Several escapees, including Massey, relied on internet phone services to communicate with accomplices and 'avoid detection" by not leaving a trail of cellular signals, police reports say. Escapee Corey Boyd used an internet phone service to message several contacts seeking money and access to their iCloud accounts, threatening to kill one person if they did not comply, court records show. The FBI reviewed months of calls from Boyd's 'top caller' while incarcerated. They then found a brief call from a new phone number the night after the escape and used that to help track down Boyd. They discovered that Boyd's aunt was messaging him on Instagram to help him get food as hid in the apartment where a SWAT team captured him May 20. A victim of abuse arrested as accomplice One of the women accused of helping Massey suffered from years of physical abuse from him, court records show. The woman, who had previously filed a protective order against Massey after he attempted to strangle her, was aware of his planned escape and later misled authorities, police say. She exchanged messages with Massey's 31-year-old sister saying they hoped he "never gets caught." Authorities staked out the New Orleans home of Massey's sister but a search six days after the escape turned up empty-handed. Police learned Massey had been inside the home before the raid and altered and deleted evidence on his sister's phone. Court records show police accuse Massey's sister of lying to them, slowing down the manhunt and forcing them to lose 'critical days and hours' in the search. Authorities appeal to public for help At least seven of the people facing felony charges for aiding the fugitives have ties to Lenton Vanburen, Jr. according to authorities. After alerting two of his sisters by prison phone in the hours before his escape, he instructed they contact 'my girl' and provide her with a 'clean phone' so the two could communicate. The woman identified by police as Vanburen's love interest told The Associated Press she never received the phone and denied involvement in the escape plans. Vanburen's sisters met up with him the night of his escape at a family member's residence where he was able to shower, change clothes and was given toiletries. Another family member later reportedly took him to a relative's home in Mississippi. Vanburen was ultimately captured in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday and two men arrested this week were accused of helping him find shelter in a hotel — paid for in cash — and an apartment undergoing renovation. The Baton Rouge court system had no record of their legal representation. In another case, a 59-year-old Louisiana woman is accused of sending cash to fugitive Jermaine Donald, a family friend, according to her attorney. Lindsey Hortenstine, communications director for the Orleans Parish Public Defenders' office, said that most of the people arrested in connection with helping the fugitives have not yet secured attorneys. Louisiana State Police Superintendent Colonel Robert Hodges said tips from friends and family remain essential to locating the remaining fugitives. 'They're tired, they're looking over their shoulder, looking for resources,' Hodges said. 'I think the advantage goes to law enforcement and we need the public's help to ensure that we keep that advantage.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Authorities clear area in Faulkner County after receiving tip of escaped inmate sighting
VIDEO: Arkansas Department of Corrections gives Wednesday afternoon update on Izard County escapee FAULKNER COUNTY, Ark. – Faulkner County authorities said deputies assisted United States marshals and Department of Corrections personnel in a search on Wednesday following a tip of a reported sighting of an inmate who escaped from a north Arkansas prison. Arkansas Department of Corrections officials said authorities responded to Faulkner County on Wednesday after receiving a tip of a possible sighting of Grant Hardin. Gateway mayor and murder victim's sister reacts to Arkansas inmate escape deputies searched the area between Damascus and Greenbrier after receiving a potential lead on a sighting of Hardin on Sunday evening. FCSO officials said they have cleared the area and are continuing to investigate the validity of the lead. 'We join all law enforcement agencies across the state in asking citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement personnel,' FCSO officials said. Escaped Arkansas prison inmate was let out by corrections officer, court filing says Hardin, who was serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape, escaped Izard County's North Central Unit prison on Sunday night by walking through the unit's main security entrance while dressed in clothing mimicking a law enforcement officer's appearance. Anyone who sees Hardin is asked to call 911 or the FCSO at 501-450-4917 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
