A Slidell lady got herself arrested and accused of helping a fugitive who is still on the loose from the big New Orleans jailbreak dodging capture, according to Louisiana State Police. Connie Weeden, 59, found herself in handcuffs in Slidell and tossed into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on Thursday. She’s the third person nabbed for aiding the Orleans Justice Center’s escaped inmates, along with jail employees. Weeden is facing a felony charge of accessory after the fact for allegedly helping Jermaine Donald, one of the five escapees still on the lam.
The Louisiana State Police officials said, “Weeden was in contact via phone both before and after the escape.” They added, “Investigators found out that after the escape, she handed Donald some cash through a cell phone app.” Donald is still out there, running free, along with four others who busted out of the Orleans Justice Center on May 16. Five of the original ten escapees have been caught, but the rest are still living their best fugitive lives.
The law enforcement peeps are all like, “Helping fugitives will get you in deep trouble, buddy.” They warned that anyone aiding fugitives will face serious consequences. State police said, “Those who choose to assist or conceal these individuals are violating the law and will be held accountable.” They also mentioned that harboring fugitives puts communities at risk and is a big no-no. If you get convicted of accessory after the fact under Louisiana law, you could be looking at up to five years in the slammer, a fine of up to $500, or both. So, not really a great idea to be helping out those on the run, folks.
On a wild note, 32-year-old Cortnie Harris and 38-year-old Corvanntay Baptiste got themselves arrested and slapped with felony counts of being accessories after the fact. They were both thrown into the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, officials said. Earlier on Thursday, the Orleans Parish District Attorney decided to send subpoenas to Sheriff Susan Hutson and other OPSO staff members. This was part of an ongoing investigation into the escape of the inmates. The subpoenas demanded access to emails, text messages, internal messages, from or to Hutson and other OPSO staff and contractors. They even wanted to check out messages to Sterling Williams, the maintenance worker who got caught up in the jailbreak mess.
Talking about Williams, a 33-year-old maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, he got arrested and booked into jail Tuesday morning, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill. Williams apparently shut off the water to a toilet to help the inmates make their grand escape. The prisoners, including three who are charged with second-degree murder, managed to break free after ripping the toilet off its hinges. Four other jail employees are on suspension as part of the investigation. Looks like it’s a wild ride at the Orleans Justice Center with all these shenanigans going on, huh?
