1 of 2 Louisiana inmates on the run after escape through damaged jail wall re-captured

One of two inmates accused of violent crimes who were still at large after escaping from a southwest Louisiana prison earlier this week has been taken into custody, according to CBS affiliate KLFY. A third inmate who joined the escape committed suicide after being arrested by police, officials said.

KLFY reported that Jonathan Joseph, 24, was taken into custody without incident. Joseph faces several charges, including first-degree rape. He was arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting earlier this week, KLFY reported.

Joseph Harrington, 26, faced several criminal charges, including home invasion. He was recognized by a tipster while pushing a black electric bike on Thursday. Police found the e-bike at a nearby house and heard a gunshot as they tried to convince him to leave the building. He had shot himself with a shotgun, Port Barre Police Chief Deon Boudreaux told The Associated Press by telephone.

Keith Eli, 24, remains on the run. He faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder. Anyone who spots Eli should immediately call 911 or the sheriff’s office, KLFY reported, and not approach him.

The three men escaped from the St. Landry Parish Prison early Wednesday after discovering “a degrading portion of an upper area of ​​the wall and, over time, they removed the mortar allowing them to remove the concrete blocks and allow their exit,” Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz said in a statement.

Authorities said the inmates then used sheets and other materials to scale the exterior wall, climb onto the first-floor roof and lower themselves to the ground, Guidroz said.

Additional details about the escape were not immediately available. Guidroz said the matter would be investigated internally. Sheriff’s Department spokesman Maj. Mark LeBlanc warned residents to secure their homes and vehicles, and said anyone helping the escapees would be prosecuted.

LeBlanc was unaware that the building had been similarly breached in the past, but noted that anyone would attempt to escape given enough time and opportunity.

“These three were just a little more creative than in previous years,” he said.

It was the latest daring escape from a Louisiana prison. Earlier this year, 10 inmates escape from New Orleans prison after crawling into a hole behind a toilet. It wasn’t until five months later — after the escape crime scene was discovered with a message reading “To Easy LoL,” officials pointing the finger at who was responsible for the daring escape and a search that spanned several states — that the 10 inmates were recaptured.