2 inmates still at large after 4 escapes from Louisiana prison

A manhunt is still underway for two young men who escaped from a Louisiana prison after two other escapees were found hiding in a dumpster behind a Dollar General store, authorities said.

The four inmates, all held for violent crimes, escaped from Tangipahoa Parish Prison, north of New Orleans, according to a Facebook post from Sheriff Daniel Edwards. Two were arrested Sunday morning and authorities are searching for the other two.

“All four inmates were able to escape the perimeter fence of the parish jail while still participating in their recreation in the yard,” the sheriff said.

According to the post, a section of the fence was found during an inspection to be “vulnerable and easy to maneuver” in a way that would allow “a small body” to slide through, the social media post states .

The sheriff's office identified the two inmates still at large as 19-year-old Omarion Hookfin and 20-year-old Jamarcus Cyprian.

The other two, Avery Guidry, 19, and Travon Johnson, 21, were found hiding in the dumpster Sunday morning, the sheriff's office reported.

Hookfin, Guidry and Johnson were charged in connection with a 2022 home invasion that left a man dead and his 12-year-old daughter injured, CNN affiliate WDSU reported. They were awaiting trial.

The fourth escapee, Cyprian, “was serving time for armed robbery and weapons-related charges,” the sheriff said.

Louisiana State Police told CNN in an email that they are “in contact with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office and are assisting as needed.”

The prison is located in Amite City in southeastern Louisiana.

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