Critics blast hourslong gap before officials disclosed 10 violent inmates escape from New Orleans jail: Someone clearly dropped the ball

At least a dozen law enforcement agencies are searching Saturday for seven of the 10 men who broke out of a New Orleans jail by fleeing through a hole behind a toilet and scaling a wall.A law enforcement photograph obtained by The Associated Press shows the opening through which the men escaped.Above the hole are scrawled messages that include “To Easy LoL” with an arrow pointing at the gap.Friday’s escape is drawing intense scrutiny and opprobrium.It took hours for sheriff’s officials to learn of the escape and then more time still to alert New Orleans police, even though some of the missing inmates are accused of violent offenses and they escaped into a neighborhood less than 2 miles from the city’s famous French Quarter.Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Casey McGee did not immediately respond to a call and text message on Saturday.“Someone clearly dropped the ball and there’s no excuse for this,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said on X.Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, who said he prosecuted one of the people who escaped, told New Orleans news station WWL-TV he was “angry.”“This is absurd,” he said.“I don’t understand how it is feasible that it could have occurred.”Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said the men were able to get out of the Orleans Justice Center because of “defective locks,” and possibly with help from people inside her department.“It’s almost impossible, not completely, but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help,” she said Friday of the jail where 1,400 people are being held.Hutson said she has repeatedly raised concerns about the locks and again this week pushed for funding to fix jail infrastructure.Surveillance footage, shared with media during a news conference, showed the escapees sprinting out of the facility — some wearing orange clothing and others in white.They scaled a fence, using blankets to protect themselves from ba...