Derrick Groves, the final inmate of the 10 who escaped from the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility, was arrested on Wednesday. His dramatic breakout event reached national attention and triggered a multi-agency manhunt.
Groves, convicted in 2018 of double murder, was arrested in Atlanta in a standoff with police. In a viral video, Groves blew a kiss to the camera as he was arrested. Groves was taken into custody in the Fulton County jail on a fugitive from justice charge, according to NOLA.com.
The jailbreak occurred on May 16, just a day before Tulane University’s Unified Commencement ceremony in the Caesars Superdome. The jail is a 15-minute drive from Tulane’s Uptown campus.
Groves was arrested after a tip was submitted to Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans, an organization that allows citizens to submit anonymous tips to state law enforcement.
With the help of a maintenance worker in the jail, the inmates forced their way through several doors before removing a toilet and exiting the jail.
The escape became a cultural spectacle, with the graffiti phrase “To Easy LOL” that escapees wrote above the hole becoming a merchandising craze and a massive internet meme.
