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Derrick Groves makes shocking gesture during Atlanta arrest; NOLA inmate to face serious charges
Derrick Groves, the last of the inmates who escaped the Orleans Parish Justice Center in New Orleans back in May, was detained on Wednesday
Derrick Groves, the last of the inmates who escaped the Orleans Parish Justice Center in New Orleans back in May, was detained on Wednesday. Authorities noted that they found him hiding in a crawl space beneath an Atlanta home. The 28-year-old was convicted of murder and facing a possible life sentence before the inmates escaped through a hole behind a toilet.
“They couldn’t find him, they had to deploy gas multiple times into the house and basement,” Deputy US Marshal Brian Fair said. “Based on how long it took a seasoned, well-trained SWAT team to get him out, he had planned to hide for a while.”
Read More: Derrick Groves capture update: Details on Atlanta standoff; New Orleans inmate has ‘nothing to lose’
As police captured Groves, who was shirtless, shoeless, and shackled at his wrists and ankles, the NOLA inmate blew a kiss and grinned at a camera. The video of his reaction went viral on social media. Sitting inside a police car, Derrick Groves also mouthed a few words at reporters. It is unclear what he was saying.
Meanwhile, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry applauded law enforcement for putting all 10 escapees “back where they belong: BEHIND BARS,” in a post on X.
The tip that led to his capture came through New Orleans Crimestoppers, Fair said. Groves was alone in the house and no one else was arrested.
Read More: Derrick Groves arrest: NOLA inmate's mom ‘all messed up’; first video of crawl space capture emerges
Groves, 27, was taken into custody and booked into the Fulton County Jail on charges of being a fugitive from justice, according to jail records. His public defender, Peter Freiberg, said he learned of the arrest through a city alert and had yet to speak with his client.
“Literally all I know is the alert from the city of New Orleans saying he was arrested in Atlanta,” Freiberg said.
Groves’ mother, Stephanie Groves, told The Associated Press she was relieved but emotional after learning about her son’s capture. “I’m all messed up, I’m just trying to talk to him,” she said tearfully.
She added that she had urged her son to surrender and didn’t know why he fled to Atlanta. “Of course he was going to get caught,” she said.
Groves, convicted in 2024 of second-degree murder for killing two people during a Mardi Gras block party, was serving a life sentence without parole when he and nine other inmates escaped from the New Orleans jail on May 16.
Authorities discovered their absence hours later. Inside the cell, investigators found a crude arrow pointing to the escape route and a mocking message: “To Easy LoL.”
Officials later blamed weak infrastructure and staffing shortages, saying the only guard on duty had left to get food. But investigators suspect it was an inside job. A jail maintenance worker and a former employee, Groves’ girlfriend, were arrested for allegedly assisting in the escape.
All 10 escapees, including Groves, now face additional charges of simple escape, which carry up to five years in prison on top of their existing sentences.
“Everyone is entitled to due process,” said Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, “but there’s a video of these detainees running out of the jail in the middle of the night. They were not heading to court hearings.”
(With AP inputs)
