New Orleans prison escapee Derrick Groves, who spent nearly five months on the run before being recaptured in Georgia, agreed to be returned to Louisiana while appearing before a Fulton County judge.
new orleans — NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An escapee from a New Orleans prison Derek Groveswho spent nearly five months on the run before being captured It was captured again in Georgiaagreed to be returned to Louisiana for a court appearance on Thursday.
“I want to go back to where I came from,” Groves, a New Orleans native, told the Fulton County coroner during the televised hearing.
Groves, who was arrested Wednesday in the basement of the Atlanta home, waived his right to an extradition hearing.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Morell said there are “ongoing discussions about next steps” to return Groves to the state.
The timetable for bringing the 28-year-old to the state has not yet been determined, the sergeant said. Kate Stegall, spokeswoman for the Louisiana State Police. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Groves has already been charged with one count of simple escape in June, Morrell said, and will be arraigned on those charges once he returns to Louisiana, where he will be placed under state maximum security at Angola. The charges carry a penalty of between two and five years.
Morrell said Wednesday she was considering upgrading Groves’ charge to aggravated escape — punishable by five to 10 years in prison — given that authorities found a handgun, a shotgun and 20 pounds of marijuana inside the Atlanta home where Groves was hiding.
In May, Groves and nine other inmates at a New Orleans prison removed a toilet and crawled through one of the pits, writing “To Easy LoL” on the wall above to commemorate their passing. A shameless escape. The other escapees, all of whom were arrested within six weeks, were also charged with simple escape.
Groves already faces life in prison after being convicted of murder last year for fatally shooting two people during a family party on Mardi Gras Day in 2018.
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Brock is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America It is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.