Police: Teen Murder Suspect Escapes Louisiana Jail for Second Time in Two Weeks

A teenage murder suspect who escaped from jail Saturday in Louisiana had apparently done the same thing two weeks prior.

Officials with the Baton Rouge Police Department were holding 17-year-old David Atkins on a first-degree murder charge, Fox News reported Monday.

However, Atkins broke out of jail Saturday alongside 17-year-old Willie Jackson, whom officials were holding on a murder charge through the sheriff’s department.

According to WAFB, Atkins had also escaped the East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center the night of November 14 with another teenager identified as Jeremiah Green, 17.

At the time of Atkins’s first escape, the teens were wearing white shirts, orange sweat pants, and orange slippers, the outlet noted:

The Fox report said officers recaptured them just over 24 hours after the escape. However, Atkins is once again on the run, this time with Jackson.

In a social media post Monday, Capital Region Crime Stoppers shared images of the suspects:

The group is offering $2,000 per escapee for information leading to their capture.

The Capital Region Crime Stoppers post reads:

ATKINS is pictured below wearing the black hooded sweatshirt. JACKSON also shown wearing the gray t-shirt. ATKINS was being held on First Degree Murder charges through the Baton Rouge Police Department. JACKSON was being held on First Degree Murder charges through the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of DAVID ATKINS or WILLIE JACKSON is urged to contact to contact Crime Stoppers at 344-STOP(7867), download the P3 Tips App, or visit crimestoppers225.com.

Law enforcement is still working to determine how the teens escaped, telling Fox the search is ongoing.

“Over the weekend, the Baton Rouge Police Department issued a press release saying the suspects may have changed their hairstyles and warned the public not to approach the suspects if they are spotted,” the article said, adding the facility has been criticized for multiple escapes and violence in past years.

It is interesting to note that in May, Louisiana State University reported that a survey found crime was the main concern for residents.

“This year, crime surged to the top of state residents’ concerns, named by about one-fifth of respondents (19%),” the post read.