After a standoff with Atlanta police on Wednesday, Derrick Groves, the last fugitive from the Orleans Justice Center jailbreak, has been arrested. A Crimestoppers tip led authorities to a home on Honeysuckle Lane in southwest Atlanta, which officers then surrounded.
U.S. Marshals Service representative Bryan Fair stated that the home was gassed multiple times. Authorities searched the residence for approximately three hours before Groves was discovered in a crawl space, according to WWLTV.
Groves then retreated to the basement, where he surrendered after a canine unit was deployed. No injuries were reported during the operation. Authorities are investigating Groves’ connection to the home, which neighbors had observed to have suspicious activity for several weeks.
One neighbor reported seeing Groves stare at her through the blinds while she was checking her mail. Atlanta police released a video showing Groves blowing a kiss to the camera as he was placed into a patrol car.
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Crimestoppers GNO reported that most escapees were caught thanks to hundreds of anonymous tips given to law enforcement.
Darlene Cusanza, President and CEO of Crimestoppers GNO, said, “We received thousands of tips on the fugitives, in particular on Mr. Groves. It was several hundred tips probably about 500.”
Information suggesting Groves’s movements between New Orleans and other cities ultimately led to his arrest, and the individual who provided the tip will now receive a $50,000 reward.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced at an October 8 news conference that Groves is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Georgia on October 9. During this hearing, he will have the option to waive extradition. Should he decline, formal extradition proceedings will commence to facilitate his return to Louisiana.
Upon his return to Louisiana, Groves will appear before a judge in Orleans Parish, at which point the legal process will resume.
Groves is to be moved to Angola, Louisiana’s maximum-security prison. The nine other escapees are already being held there, according to Murrill.
“He is going to face jail time for a very, very long time, possibly. Certainly life on the second-degree murders, those he should have been sentenced to life in prison for because that’s the mandatory jail time for that,” Murrill said.
Groves is expected to be prosecuted in Georgia and possibly at the federal level, according to Murrill.
“So he’s got a lot of trouble and a lot of things to answer to both the state of Louisiana and the state of Georgia,” Murrill added.
Groves had been convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for a 2018 Mardi Gras block party shooting. Prosecutors stated that Groves used an AK-47-style rifle in a drug-related dispute, resulting in these charges, which carry a life sentence. His sentencing had been postponed due to legal problems.
Groves and his fellow escapees now face additional charges of simple escape, potentially adding two to five years to their existing sentences.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams announced Groves’ arrest during a press conference about an unrelated drug and gun bust in the French Quarter. He expressed gratitude to the local and federal agencies in New Orleans, Atlanta, and across Louisiana, as well as the U.S. Marshals Service, for their efforts in tracking down and capturing Groves.
“I think across the board whether you are a reporter or whether you’re in law enforcement or whether you lived in the neighborhood where he wreaked havoc or whether you were a witness who was brave enough to come forward and testify again him everyone is sighing a collect sigh of relief knowing that a person who was facing multiple life sentences is now in custody.”
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He was grateful Groves was caught without any incident or injuries.
“I was deeply concerned that someone that had been convicted of a double homicide and was supposed to be at Angola would not go easily. I was afraid that there would be loss of life whether it be civilian or law enforcement.”
He also warned that anyone who helped Groves get away would be held responsible.
“Whether it’s an Uber driver, whether it’s getting some gas, whether it is catching a flight, he obviously had some help and there will be a thorough investigation to any and everybody who helped him along the way.”
Sheriff Susan Hutson briefly suspended her reelection campaign following the incident, but has since resumed it. While taking responsibility for the security breach, Hutson attributes the jail’s issues to a lack of funding, staff shortages, and inadequate infrastructure.
She released the following statement: “Let me be very clear: when someone escapes our custody, we will not stop until they are found. 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.”
Hutson added, “Our message is simple: I want to give a huge thank you to the men and women of this department, alongside our law enforcement partners, who remain steadfast in their pursuit of Mr. Groves and dedication to public safety. We can now close this chapter and continue the great work of care, custody, control, and supporting the community.”
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