Two women have been arrested for their alleged involvement in aiding some of the 10 inmates who escaped from a New Orleans prison, with a manhunt still ongoing for five of the escapees. Cortnie Harris, 32, and Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, are facing felony accomplice charges after being accused of assisting the prisoners who were captured on security cameras breaking out of the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility.
Prior to the dramatic escape, Harris had been in communication with one of the inmates who is still at large, as per Louisiana State Police reports. The specific fugitive that Harris was in contact with was not disclosed by the authorities.
Harris is also accused of transporting two of the escapees, who are still on the run, to various locations within New Orleans. The identities of these two inmates were not revealed by the police. On the other hand, Baptiste allegedly communicated with accused murderer Corey Boyd before his escape and assisted in providing food for him while he was in hiding. Corey Boyd, who is facing charges for a murder committed during a car burglary last year, was apprehended in New Orleans earlier this week.
It is unclear if Harris and Baptiste were acquainted with each other prior to their arrests. Both women have been charged with felonies for their roles in aiding the escapees, bringing the total number of individuals accused of assisting the fugitives to three.
Sterling Williams, a prison worker, has also been implicated in the escape plot. Williams reportedly confessed to cutting off water in the inmates’ cells, allowing them to remove the toilet from the wall and escape through a hole. He claimed that one of the inmates threatened him with a weapon if he did not cooperate.
After escaping through the hole, the inmates proceeded to scale the jail’s barbed wire fence, cross the highway, and change their clothes in a nearby neighborhood. As of now, five of the escapees have been captured, while the remaining five are still at large and considered armed and dangerous, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.
Harris and Baptiste have been booked at the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center and could face up to five years in prison if convicted. Louisiana State Police issued a statement warning that individuals who assist or conceal fugitives will be held accountable, as harboring escapees poses a threat to community safety and will not be tolerated.
