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
Angela Johnson and Her Son DeAngelo Johnson Killed After Shooting Inside Home in Chicago, Mother’s Boyfriend in Custody
CHICAGO — A 47-year-old mother and her 27-year-old son were fatally shot inside a residence in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on the West Side late Thursday night, September 24, 2026, according to Chicago police.
The victims were identified as Angela Johnson, 47, and DeAngelo Johnson, 27. Police said a suspect, identified as Angela Johnson’s boyfriend, was taken into custody following the shooting.
The deadly shooting happened in the 800 block of North Parkside Avenue at approximately 10:43 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots coming from the basement of the residence and called 911.
When Chicago police officers arrived, they found the two victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Angela Johnson was found in the basement with a gunshot wound to her chest. Police-radio traffic indicated she had been shot on the right side of her chest.
DeAngelo Johnson was found on the first floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Radio traffic indicated that he had suffered two gunshot wounds to his back.
Both victims were initially unresponsive and in critical condition. Emergency personnel performed CPR on DeAngelo Johnson before both victims were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
According to police-radio traffic, one victim was pronounced dead at approximately 11:18 p.m., while the male victim was pronounced dead around 11:21 p.m.
Investigators found extensive evidence inside the residence, including approximately 23 shell casings in a basement bedroom. Additional shell casings were reportedly recovered in other areas of the basement, including the stairway, main room and bedroom.
Officers initially recovered a firearm and shell casings from the basement bedroom. Police later located a second firearm inside the home, bringing the total number of recovered firearms to two.
Authorities have not publicly stated who owned the firearms or confirmed which weapon, if either, was used in the fatal shooting.
Police also reported that DeAngelo Johnson was wearing an empty holster when officers found him on the first floor. That discovery prompted an officer-safety alert as officers searched the residence for the missing firearm.
Chicago police said the shooting appeared to be domestic-related and identified the alleged offender as the mother’s boyfriend.
Radio traffic indicated that a person had been detained by approximately 11:26 p.m. The official police report later confirmed that the known offender was taken into custody.
Two witnesses were reportedly available to identify the alleged offender, and officers conducted a show-up identification procedure near the scene.
Police have not released additional information about potential charges against the suspect.
The investigation into the Chicago Austin neighborhood double shooting remains ongoing. Detectives are continuing to examine the circumstances that led to the shooting, the relationship between the people involved and the role of the two recovered firearms.
The deaths of Angela Johnson and DeAngelo Johnson are being investigated as a double homicide.