SLIDELL, La. -- While St. Tammany Parish deputies have arrested two more suspects for aiding in the escape of an inmate, the target of the manhunt, Carlos Rodriguez, has still eluded authorities.
Rodriguez broke out of the St. Tammany Parish Jail Saturday night.
Tuesday, deputies arrested two inmates, 20-year old Jared Graham of Lacombe and 25-year old Kristopher Jones of Slidell, for aiding in Rodriguez's escape.
Graham was waiting to be transported out of the jail after being convicted of second-degree murder. Jones was awaiting trial on a burglary charge.
Sheriff Strain would not say how Graham and Jones helped Rodriguez, but said they did not try to escape.
Deputies arrested Kristopher Jones' brother, Jacob Jones, Monday. Detectives say Jacob Jones picked up Rodriguez outside the jail at a pre-determined time and drove him to Jefferson Parish.
Sheriff Strain said Rodriguez made his way out of the jail by climbing through the ceiling, then going over the outer fence.
"He went over the razor wire," Strain said. "Jones, who brought him to Jefferson Parish, acknowledged that he did receive a pretty significant leg wound that may or may not need attention."
As of Tuesday afternoon, investigators still believe Rodriguez is hiding out Jefferson Parish, although he said it's possible Rodriguez could make a run for Mexico.
Rodriguez is the fifth inmate to break out of the St. Tammany Parish Jail in the past year. All five are accused of murder or attempted murder.
Strain said all five "beat the structure" of the jail. When asked if he's concerned more structural vulnerabilities could be discovered, Sheriff Strain responded, "Yeah, sure I do, and obviously, that's got to be our concern now."
Strain said a team of jail experts will be in Covington soon to evaluate the St. Tammany Parish Jail.
Carlos Rodriguez was in jail for the murder of St. Tammany paramedic Mario Scramuzza. Detectives charged Scramuzza's wife, Gina Scramuzza, with hiring Rodriguez and others to perform the killing.
New Orleans attorney Justin Zitler told Eyewitness News Tuesday, Rodriguez should have never been able to commit that murder. At the time, Rodriguez was supposed to be wearing a court ordered ankle bracelet, as part of a work release program in Jefferson Parish.
"The mother could only get Carlos Rodriguez to perform this murder for hire contract because Carlos Rodriguez defeated this ankle bracelet," Zitler said.
Zitler filed a wrongful death suit on behalf of Mario Scramuzza's son against G4S Justice Services, the company that makes the ankle bracelet.
"Whether he cuts if off or goes out of the range," Zitler added, "the alarm should go off and the appropriate police department should respond."
G4S Justice Services is now one of the companies bidding to run the Electronic Monitoring Program for the city of New Orleans.
