(Scypre.com) – Police in Louisiana announced on Monday that they have recaptured two of the four inmates who escaped from the Tangipahoa Parish Jail over the weekend, escaping without the guards’ knowledge.
Omarion Hookfin, 19; Avery Guidry, 19; Jamarcus Cyprian, 20; and Travon Johnson, 21, managed to break out of the jail through a weak section of the chain-linked fence on Saturday and Sunday, said Chief Jimmy Travis of the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. The jail authorities were unaware of the escapes until a family member of one of the escapees called them on Sunday afternoon. This relative reported that two inmates had escaped on Saturday night and showed up at a relative’s house seeking shelter.
Before jail staff could respond, two additional inmates had already fled, Chief Travis explained. “It’s very concerning. If proper head counts had been conducted, we would have known about it immediately,” he said.
Investigators quickly located Johnson and Guidry after receiving a tip from a caller. The two, who were arrested for a 2022 homicide in Hammond, Louisiana, were found hiding in a dumpster behind a Dollar General store about 22 miles from the jail. However, Hookfin, also arrested for the same homicide, and Cyprian, who was serving time for armed robbery and weapon charges, are still at large and likely outside of Tangipahoa Parish, according to Chief Travis.
The investigation into the escape is ongoing, with investigators examining all evidence and clues. Travis noted that it appeared the inmates broke through a corroded part of the fence during recreation time. “They hid after dark, went under a wall, scaled two fences, and got away,” Travis explained about the Saturday escape.
Travis could not specify which inmates escaped on which day, only confirming that two fled on Saturday and two on Sunday. He acknowledged that the jail was understaffed and some staff members were inexperienced, but emphasized that this was not an excuse for the incident. “We had a failure that we need to correct and move forward,” he stated.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the remaining suspects is urged to call Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s anonymous tip line at 800-554-5245 or visit www.tangicrimestoppers.com.