Arrested New Orleans jail worker says he helped inmates to escape after stabbing threat

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans jail maintenance worker has been arrested and is being held on a $1.1 million bond after admitting he turned water off to a toilet covering a hole in a cell wall, allowing 10 men to squeeze through the gap in one of the largest jailbreaks in recent US history.

The inmates pulled off the daring escape from a jail early Friday by yanking open a faulty cell door, moving the toilet and slithering through the hole. Graffiti on the wall included the message "To Easy LoL," with an arrow pointing to the gap.

Officials have underscored multiple security lapses, including ineffective cell locks and that the inmates escaped when the lone guard monitoring them went to get food. The absence of the inmates, many charged with or convicted of violent offences such as murder, was not reported to law enforcement for hours.

Four have since been apprehended and six remain at large.

During a tense New Orleans City Council meeting on Tuesday, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, who oversees the jail, said she "takes full accountability" for the escape.

"There were procedural failures and missed notifications, but there were also intentional wrongdoings. This was a coordinated effort aided by individuals inside our own agency who made the choice to break the law," Hutson said. "We are continuing to pursue everyone involved."

Responding to a question from Councilmember Oliver Thomas, Hutson said she couldn't guarantee inmates would not be left unattended again, noting the jail is operating with 60 per cent staffing capacity.

The inmates escaped by removing a sink-toilet combination unit from a cell, then cutting steel bars behind the cell room sink, Hutson said. After bending the bars they slipped out. It's unclear what they used to saw through the bars.

Authorities believe sheriff's employees helped, and three have been suspended. On Tuesday, authorities made their first staff arrest.

Maintenance worker, Sterling Williams, 33, admitted that one of the escapees "advised him to turn the water off in the cell" before the men slipped through the hole, the Louisiana Attorney General's office said in a statement.

Williams is charged with 10 counts of principle to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office, with a $100,000 bond per charge. He is being held at a detention center in another parish and appeared in court via Zoom on Tuesday afternoon, represented by a public defender, court records show.

Williams said one of the escapees threatened to "shank" him if he did not turn off the water, according to an arrest affidavit. Another inmate tried to take Williams' phone and attempted to get him to bring a book with cash app information.

Attorney General Liz Murrill said Williams "made some bad decisions" and that he should have brought the threat and escape plan to someone's attention.

Thomas said the sheriff's office has a responsibility to protect employees and create a safe environment for them to report threats and other problems.

"We cannot allow the inmates to run the facilities. That can't happen," Thomas said. "We cannot allow them to threaten the men and women who work there."

The affidavit says Williams "willfully and maliciously assisted with the escape" and that without his help they would have flooded the cell and drawn attention to their escape efforts.

Murrill told reporters Tuesday that no additional charges have been filed against other employees but that the investigation continues and "there could be more arrests."

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