Officials announced on Tuesday that the murder suspect from Louisiana, who managed to escape custody by pepper-spraying the deputy who was transporting him and then stealing her vehicle after a hospital visit, has been located at a hotel in New Orleans.
Leon Ruffin, aged 51, managed to escape custody on Sunday while being held on a second-degree murder charge.
During a press conference, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto announced that the authorities had tracked down the suspect to a hotel in New Orleans East. On Tuesday at around 2:30 p.m., the suspect was taken into custody by Jefferson Parish deputies, the New Orleans Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal Service. This arrest took place two days after the initial incident.
Authorities discovered him alone in the hotel room, and they were in the process of executing search warrants within. The exact hotel he was staying at remains unclear.
Sheriff Joseph Lopinto expressed confidence that there will be more arrests linked to this case. When asked about potential accomplices, he stated, “I’m certain that we will have additional arrests related to this.” He further added, “He’s back in JPS custody and will stay here for a long time.”
According to the sheriff, it is believed that Ruffin spent the majority of his time on the run in the hotel room.
According to Lopinto, it seems that he was mostly present during that time, spending his days confined to a hotel room rather than a jail cell. It appears that he did not have a particularly enjoyable experience over the past two days.
According to online booking records, he currently faces charges including motor vehicle theft, aggravated escape, battery of an officer with intent to injure, and being a fugitive.
Ruffin managed to escape on Sunday when he was brought to a nearby hospital due to a possible seizure, according to officials.
After the incident, the deputy was taken to the hospital for treatment due to exposure to pepper spray. Thankfully, the deputy was in good spirits despite the ordeal. It remains unknown how Ruffin managed to obtain the pepper spray.
According to Lopinto, he suspected that Ruffin had feigned injuries while in the corrections center’s medical facility in order to avoid being shackled and handcuffed during his hospital visit.
Ruffin was in custody at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center for several months on charges of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his friend, Gannon Johnson. According to NOLA.com, Ruffin pleaded not guilty to the crime.
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