Police have arrested a maintenance worker who is suspected of helping 10 inmates break out of a New Orleans jail on Friday, Louisiana’s attorney general has announced.
The employee, identified as 33-year-old Sterling Williams, was arrested on Monday night.
Mr Williams is accused of turning off the water to the cell that was used for the escape, which involved removing a toilet from the wall. He said an inmate threatened to attack him with a “shank” – meaning makeshift knife – if he did not help, according to court documents.
Five of the inmates have been recaptured so far, Louisiana State Police said.
Police earlier said several of the detainees were facing charges of murder and other violent offences.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in her statement that Mr Williams had “admitted to agents that one of the escapees advised him to turn the water off in the cell where the inmates escaped from”.
“Instead of reporting the inmate, Williams turned the water off as directed, allowing the inmates to carry out their scheme to successfully escape,” she added. (BBC)