An urgent manhunt was underway Friday after nearly a dozen inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail between Thursday night and Friday morning as authorities said they're investigating if the escape was an inside job.
Officials shared a photo of the hole used by the 10 inmates to escape, which appeared to have been hidden behind a toilet. Chief of Corrections Jeworski "Jay" Mallett said during a news conference that there were "several security breaches."
He added toiletries in a handicap cell were used to remove some of the bolts and toilets.
"We know that this could not be removed from the inside, so we are investigating that to see exactly who entered these areas, what kind of work was done, if there was work being done, and if this is an inside job," Mallett said.
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New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said her agency was notified at 10:30 a.m. that 11 inmates had escaped from the sheriff's jail.
Hours after releasing the names, charges and mugshots of 11 inmates, New Orleans Police Department Sheriff Susan Hutson clarified that only 10 escaped, and that the mislabeled inmate had been moved from a different cell in the facility and their system had not been updated.
Many of the inmates are considered violent offenders, with some facing charges including murder.
"The primary security breach and concern is the facility's infrastructure," Mallett said. "We've identified that we have a large number of high security individuals in a minimum custody facility. This particular breach of security occurred on the first floor of one of our security pods, where we had slider doors. These doors are able to be manipulated and forced off the track that they're on, which allows individuals to enter and exit at will."
The jail is only at 60% staffing, and at the time of the escape, four supervisors and 36 staff were monitoring the 1,400 inmates, authorities said.
"This is an urgent and a serious situation," Kirkpatrick said. "Please be mindful. We know or have asked for pictures of these escapees from the sheriff's office. … We do also want to make I appeal to the public that if you see something, and you just think this is not right, don't hesitate. Call 911."
The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office (OPSO) said one of the escaped inmates charged with second-degree murder, Kendell Myles, is back in custody and being re-booked at the facility for a new charge of simple escape.
OPSO deputies found him hiding beneath a car in the Hotel Monteleone parking garage, according to officials.
Myles was then taken back to the jail by Louisiana State Police.
"The remaining individuals are still being actively pursued, and our deputies, in collaboration with local and state law enforcement, are working tirelessly to locate and return them to custody," according to the sheriff's office.
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Anyone found to be aiding an escapee will be charged as an accomplice, according to authorities.
A violent offender warrant squad is actively searching for the escapees along with the FBI and U.S. Marshals.
The escaped inmates include:
In a statement posted to X, Attorney General Liz Murrill said "someone clearly dropped the ball and there's no excuse for this."
"I'm in communication with Troop NOLA and @LAStatePolice Superintendent Colonel Hodges. It's all hands on deck," Murrill wrote in the post. "The first priority in any escape must be the immediate capture of the inmates and coordination with state and local law enforcement - but that effort cannot come at the expense of timely notification to the public, which is also critical to keeping communities safe. My office will do whatever it takes to determine how this happened and make sure that it won't happen again."
Hutson confirmed she did not notify any agencies other than the US Marshals Task Force about the escape until 10:30 a.m. Friday.
The public was also left uninformed until Friday morning.
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She added she is calling for a full investigation.
"This is beyond unacceptable, and once these offenders are back in custody, there must be real accountability," Murrill wrote.
Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
