Last New Orleans Jail Escapee Arrested In ATL After Standoff

ATLANTA, GA — The final inmate in a massive New Orleans jail escape that gained nationwide attention was arrested after a standoff Wednesday in Atlanta, Louisiana State Police said.

Escapee Derrick Groves was one of 10 inmates to escape the Orleans Parish Prison on May 16, sparking a months-long, multiagency manhunt for his whereabouts, police said.

The 28-year-old was awaiting sentencing after being convicted of killing two people, local newspaper the Times-Picayune reported. The deadly incident occurred at a Mardi Gras party, KTVU reported.

Groves was located after a SWAT standoff around 1 p.m. at a Honeysuckle Lane home in southwest Atlanta, the Times-Picayune reported.

Officers called for Groves to exit a home, and after some time, he complied, KTVU reported, citing the U.S. Marshals Service.

“Let me be very clear: when someone escapes our custody, we will not stop until they are found,” Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said in a news release.

“For nearly five months, law enforcement across multiple states worked tirelessly to bring Groves back into custody. I want to thank the Atlanta Police Department, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service and our own OPSO Fugitive Apprehension Team for their relentless pursuit and commitment to public safety.”

Groves will be extradited to New Orleans, where he will face charges related to his escape, police said.

He was previously convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, and pled guilty to two counts of manslaughter in unrelated cases, the Times Picayune reported.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she will make sure that Groves "is prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said his arrest followed a standoff with law enforcement.

"Groves’ escape represented a serious breach of public safety and a historic failure of custodial security," Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said in a statement, per the Times-Picayune. "His capture brings long-awaited calm to victims, their families, the witnesses who testified, the assistant district attorneys who prosecuted him and the people of New Orleans."

The arrest came nearly five months after 10 inmates reportedly escaped by crawling through a hole in a jail cell. Sterling Williams, who worked for the jail's maintenance staff, was reportedly charged in connection with the escape.