Last New Orleans jail escapee caught: Derrick Groves arrested in Atlanta after 5 months on the run

Authorities have recaptured Derrick “Woo” Groves, the last of 10 inmates who staged a jailbreak from the Orleans Justice Center in May.

Groves, 31, was taken into custody in Atlanta after an alleged standoff with local police on Wednesday (October 8), multiple reports stated citing law enforcement sources.

High-profile escape

Groves and nine others broke out of the New Orleans jail on May 16, 2025, by removing a toilet from a cell where water had been cut off, squeezing through a hole in the wall, and scaling a barbed wire fence. Surveillance footage captured the group sprinting into the night. The escape went unnoticed until a morning head count. On the wall above the escape hole, officials found a taunting message: “To Easy LoL.”

Nine inmates were captured within weeks. Groves, however, managed to remain at large for nearly five months, aided by a network of supporters.

Violent criminal history

Groves was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, convicted in 2024 for firing an assault rifle into a Mardi Gras block party, killing two men and injuring several others. He also pleaded guilty to manslaughter in two separate shootings and had a history of drug trafficking and violent crime. Prosecutors say witnesses in his cases were repeatedly threatened or intimidated into silence.

As per reports, Groves dropped out of school in the ninth grade and became involved in heroin dealing in the Lower Ninth Ward. His criminal record began at 17, when he was charged with attempted murder but later acquitted.

Alleged inside help

Investigators say a former jail employee, who became Groves’ girlfriend while he was incarcerated, helped him coordinate the escape by arranging unmonitored phone calls. She is among at least 16 people — many relatives of the fugitives — charged with aiding the escapees by providing shelter, transport, food, and cash.