A Slidell woman was arrested and accused of helping a fugitive who is still at large from the massive New Orleans jailbreak elude capture, Louisiana State Police said.
Connie Weeden, 59, was taken into custody in Slidell and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on Thursday. In addition to jail employees, she is the third person arrested for assisting the Orleans Justice Center’s escaped inmates.
Weeden faces a felony charge of accessory after the fact for allegedly assisting Jermaine Donald, one of the five escapees still on the run.
“Weeden was in contact via phone both before and after the escape,” said LSP officials in a statement. “Investigators determined that after the escape, she provided Donald with cash through a cell phone app.”
Donald remains at large, along with four others who broke out of the Orleans Justice Center on May 16. Authorities have recaptured five of the original 10 who escaped.
Law enforcement officials warned that helping fugitives will carry serious consequences. “Those who choose to assist or conceal these individuals are violating the law and will be held accountable,” said state police. “Harboring fugitives threatens the safety of our communities and will not be tolerated.”
Under Louisiana law, a conviction for accessory after the fact carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $500, or both.
The LSP announced on Wednesday that 32-year-old Cortnie Harris and 38-year-old Corvanntay Baptiste were arrested and charged with felony counts of being accessories after the fact. They were both booked at the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, officials said.
Earlier on Thursday, the Orleans Parish District Attorney issued subpoenas to the Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, and other OPSO staff members as part of an ongoing investigation into the escape of inmates.
The order demanded access to emails, text messages, internal messages, from or to Hutson and other OPSO staff and contractors, including those to Sterling Williams, the jail maintenance worker who was arrested in connection with the jailbreak.
Williams, a 33-year-old maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, was arrested and booked into jail Tuesday morning, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.
Williams allegedly shut off the water to a toilet to help clear the way for the inmates to escape, sources said. The prisoners, including three who are charged with second-degree murder and remain on the run, were able to get out after ripping the toilet off its hinges.
Four other jail employees have been suspended in this investigation.
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