Police arrested a 59-year-old Louisiana woman Thursday night, after she allegedly helped one of the 10 fugitives who escaped the Orleans Justice Center last week.
The arrest of Connie Weeden, from Slidell, Louisiana, makes her the third alleged accomplice arrested since the May 16 jail break, WDSU in Louisiana reported.
Weeden faces charges of felony accessory after the fact, possibly meaning up to five years of hard labor if she were convicted, according to Louisiana law.
Police accused Weeden of helping her grandson, Jermain Donald, who is still on the run.
She reportedly sent money to Donald via a cellphone app.
Louisiana State Police booked Weeden into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center.
The other two alleged accomplices arrested in different incidents were Cortnie Harris and Corvanntay Baptiste, who allegedly supported and gave transportation to some of the other fugitives.
ATF is offering a $5,000 reward, in addition to the $5,000 reward from Crimestoppers and the $10,000 reward from the FBI.
If you have any info on the location of the fugitives, contact:
LSP Fusion Center: 225-925-4192
Crimestoppers: 504-822-1111
FBI – New Orleans: 1-800-CALL pic.twitter.com/5HkyS8XNQv— LA State Police (@LAStatePolice) May 22, 2025
Will more insiders be identified?
Five of the 10 inmates are still on the run, and police said they are likely armed and dangerous, Fox News reported.
The fugitives, some of them murder suspects, escaped the jail through a hole behind the toilet, the Associated Press reported May 17.
Above the hole the fugitives wrote, “To Easy LoL.”
11 New Orleans inmates escaped jail by breaking a hole behind a toilet. Around the hole, they scribbled messages like “Too easy LOL” and “Catch us when you can.” Two have been recaptured, while the remaining nine are still at large and considered dangerous 💀 pic.twitter.com/z9vHMaofX7
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) May 16, 2025
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson blamed the escape on the jail’s “defective locks,” and said the escapees likely had inside help.
“It’s almost impossible, not completely, but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help,” Huston said.
Security camera footage showed the men escaping.
Surveillance captured the inmates escaping the prison facility and running across the highway.
New Orleans Police Department tagged them armed and dangerous! pic.twitter.com/aYGTc38N0D
— Yonny (@YonnyBravo__) May 21, 2025
Residents of New Orleans expressed fear and frustration over the security failure, USA Today reported.
“I’ve been kind of scared,” said Lacy Favaroth. “I’m not walking my dog at night at all.”
Another resident, Lakisha Catchings, said she wants to see accountability, adding that Sheriff Hutson “has got to go.”
“They gotta get it together. Crime is everywhere,” Catchings said. “But to be at your front door? That’s scary.”
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