As of Friday afternoon, five of the 10 escapees from the Orleans Justice Center are still at large and another suspected accomplice has been arrested. NOPD arrested 30-year-old Casey Smith who they say admitted transporting some of the escapees. Three others were previously arrested by the State Police. 32-year-old Cortnie Harris, accused of transporting escapees. 38-year-old Corvanntay Baptiste accused of helping an escapee get food. 59-year-old Connie Weeden accused of providing cash to an escapee through a cell phone app. Maintenance worker at the jail, 33-year-old Sterling Williams allegedly turned off the water in a cell allowing inmates to escape through a hole behind a toilet.
And in Tangipahoa Parish, a manhunt is underway for 19-year-old Tra’Von Johnson, who escaped from the jail Thursday afternoon – and this is not the first time he’s escaped from that jail. Sheriff Gerald Sticker says inmates flooded a cell and while jail employees were pushing the water out, both the cell door and an exterior door were open simultaneously for less than a minute, enough time for Johnson and another inmate to get out of the building – only Johnson left the property.
Cut 12 (09) “…the back fence.”
Johnson previously escaped jail with three other inmates in May of 2024.
An LSU SEC championship ring was among many items stolen from a home on May 13th and Martin Parish, sheriff’s investigators are looking to recover it. Major Ginny Higgins…
Cut 10 (07) “…bragging about it.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of this ring is asked to call St. Martin Parish Crime Stoppers.
The House has passed a resolution asking the SEC not to schedule LSU home football games before six p-m in the month of September. Harahan Republican John Illg drafted the resolution after ESPN scheduled LSU’s September 21st home game against UCLA for 2:30 in the afternoon. The temperature at kickoff was 94 degrees with a heat index of 100
The resolution if passed is only a formal request to the SEC and to the TV networks.