Crime
Orleans Justice Center Maintenance Worker Sterling Williams Arrested for Alleged Role in Inmate Escape
NEW ORLEANS, La. — A maintenance worker at the Orleans Justice Center has been arrested in connection with the escape of ten inmates from the facility last Friday, Channel2 NOW has learned.
Sterling Williams, 33, was booked Monday on 10 counts of principal to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office.
Williams, employed as a maintenance worker at the jail, is accused of facilitating the escape by turning off the water supply to a cell where inmates later escaped through a hole behind a toilet.
After his arrest, Williams was transferred to another detention facility for safety reasons.
Sources say Williams told investigators he was threatened with violence by inmate Antoine Massey, who allegedly warned he would “shank” Williams if he did not comply.
According to security footage, the inmates used the compromised cell to break through a wall and exit the facility via a supply dock.
At the time of the escape, three surveillance cameras in the unit were reportedly offline. The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) has acknowledged the jailbreak was aided by “defective locks” and possible internal assistance.
Four of the ten escapees have since been recaptured. Gary Price, one of the fugitives, was arrested Monday by State Police in New Orleans East.
Home surveillance video captured Price surrendering with his hands raised. Price was being held on attempted first-degree murder charges.
Six inmates remain at large and are considered armed and dangerous. Among them:
- Derrick Groves, convicted in a 2018 double homicide and additional shootings on Mardi Gras Day.
- Antoine Massey, held on domestic abuse and vehicle theft charges, with a long history of escapes dating back to 2007. He is also wanted in St. Tammany Parish for kidnapping and rape.
- Lenton Vanburen, charged with a 2021 homicide in New Orleans East.
- Jermaine Donald, facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery, weapons violations, and obstruction of justice.
- Leo Tate, awaiting trial on burglary, drug, and firearms charges.
- Corey Boyd, accused of fatally shooting Brandon Fees during a car burglary in 2024.
The ongoing escape has left families of victims shaken. One father, whose son testified against a fugitive, expressed his fear: “Everybody’s on edge right now… I just refuse to live in fear.” Another mother reported fleeing the city with her children: “My baby is scared. He won’t let my hand go.”
Governor Jeff Landry has ordered a comprehensive investigation and issued multiple executive orders in response.
While Sheriff Susan Hutson has not responded to calls for her resignation, pressure is mounting. City Councilmember Helena Moreno and State Representative Aimee Freeman are demanding a full audit of the Sheriff’s Office. Moreno criticized the delayed public alert as “malfeasance in office.”
A previous report by a federal jail monitor warned of lax supervision and declining compliance since Hutson assumed office.
The New Orleans City Council’s Criminal Justice Committee is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting to examine the incident. Representatives from OPSO, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), Louisiana State Police, Troop NOLA, Homeland Security, and the city’s Communications District are expected to attend.
Nonprofit Project NOLA, which helped spot two escapees in the French Quarter, criticized NOPD for opting out of real-time facial recognition alerts, potentially hindering law enforcement efforts.
The public is urged to remain vigilant. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the six fugitives should contact 911, CrimeStoppers at (504) 822-1111, or submit an anonymous tip at fbi.gov/neworleansfugitives. A $20,000 reward is being offered per inmate for information leading to an arrest.
Crime
Victims Identified in Deadly Robeson County Mass Shooting
Two Dead, 13 Injured in Mass Shooting at Large Party in Robeson County, North Carolina
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. — A late-night party in eastern North Carolina turned deadly early Saturday morning when gunfire erupted, leaving two people dead and 13 others injured, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Burnis Wilkins confirmed that deputies were called to the scene on Dixon Drive, just outside the town of Maxton, at approximately 3:00 a.m. following reports of a shooting at a large outdoor gathering attended by more than 150 people.
When deputies arrived, chaos had already unfolded — witnesses said over 150 individuals fled the area before law enforcement could secure the scene.
Authorities identified the deceased victims as Jessie Locklear and his son Nehemiah Locklear.
Several other victims sustained critical injuries and were transported to area hospitals for emergency treatment.
Sheriff Wilkins stated that, based on preliminary findings, the shooting appears to have been an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the wider community.
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from multiple agencies, continues to investigate the circumstances that led to the violence.
Detectives are working to determine the motive and identify all parties involved.
Authorities are urging anyone with information—or anyone who attended the gathering and witnessed the incident—to contact the Robeson County Sheriff’s Investigators at 910-671-3100.
“We know there were many people present when this occurred,” Sheriff Wilkins said. “If you saw something or know something, we need you to come forward to help bring justice to the victims and their families.”