By Poet Wolfe
The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
TANGIPAHOA, La. — Four male inmates slid through the gates of Tangipahoa Parish jail Sunday, according to the sheriff’s office.
Two were found hiding in a dumpster and were taken into custody on Memorial Day , while the other two inmates remain at large.
The four inmates exited through the perimeter fence during recreational time in the yard, Tangipahoa Sheriff Daniel Edwards said in a press release. Authorities inspected the fence after the escape and found that a section of it was wide enough for a “small-statured body” to exit through, TPSO authorities said.
Two of the inmates — Travon Johnson, 21, and Avery Guidry, 19 — were taken into custody Monday morning, after authorities found them hiding in a dumpster behind a Dollar General in Hammond.
The other two inmates — Omarion Hookfin, 19, and Jamarcus Cyprian, 20 — remain missing as of Monday.
Johnson, Hookfin and Guidry were arrested in connection with a 2022 homicide in Hammond. Cyprian was serving time for armed robbery and weapon charges.
The escape comes as Louisiana’s management of its locked up population has faced heavy scrutiny in the last year.
The escapes occurred at a parish jail that houses some state prisoners under a per diem system. Juvenile facilities overseen by the Office of Juvenile Justice also have faced criticism from escapes and violence.
It is predictable that inmates will try to escape from jail, but through officer teamwork, it is preventable. In this tip, risk management expert and Lexipol co-founder Gordan Graham discusses what that teamwork should entail.
This is a developing story.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify oversight of adult and juvenile detention facilities in the state.
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