A 33-year-old maintenance worker has been arrested for allegedly helping ten inmates escape from a prison facility in New Orleans, United States, by disabling the water supply to their cell, officials said.
The suspect, Sterling Williams, was arrested on Monday night and is facing ten counts of principal to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.
The daring jailbreak occurred last Friday at the Orleans Parish Jail, where the inmates broke out by removing a toilet from the wall and escaping through an exposed hole in the cell. The inmates then climbed down a wall and ran across a nearby highway to freedom.
Authorities said three escapees were recaptured the same day, while a fourth was caught on Monday. At least six remain at large, many of whom are facing charges for violent crimes including murder.
According to court documents, Williams told investigators he was threatened by an inmate, Antoine Massey, with a makeshift knife, known as a “shank,” if he refused to turn off the water to the cell. Turning off the water made it possible to remove the toilet, giving the inmates access to the escape route.
Instead of reporting the threat or alerting authorities, Williams cooperated with the inmates’ plan.
Sheriff Susan Hutson confirmed that the inmates yanked the cell door off its tracks, removed the toilet, and then cut through metal bars behind it to flee. Images from the scene showed graffiti left behind by the escapees, including a mocking message that read “Too Easy LoL” with a smiley face.
Louisiana’s Attorney General vowed that everyone involved in the escape would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. “Anyone who helped in any way should come forward now,” Murrill urged.
The prison is located just 3 kilometres from New Orleans’ famous French Quarter, raising concerns about security in the city’s centre.
Investigations into the jailbreak are still ongoing.
