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Aid trucks looted in southern Gaza as famine looms due to blockade: UN

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — More than a dozen World Food Programme trucks were looted in southern Gaza late Thursday as 2 million people in the Strip face “extreme hunger and famine without immediate action,” the aid group said.

The organization said 15 trucks were looted “while en route to WFP-supported bakeries.” The WFP, which is part of the United Nations, did not say who looted the trucks.

“These trucks were transporting critical food supplies for hungry populations waiting anxiously for assistance. Hunger, desperation, and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming, is contributing to rising insecurity,” the WFP said in a statement.

“Hunger, desperation, and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming, is contributing to rising insecurity,” the WFP continued. “We need support from the Israeli authorities to get far greater volumes of food assistance into Gaza faster, more consistently, and transported along safer routes, as was done during the ceasefire.”

The looting came just days after the Israeli government ended the blockade as a part of a three-phase plan to start getting more aid into Gaza. Aid trucks started slowly re-entering Gaza in the past two days, according to the U.N. and the Gaza Government Media Office.

An Israeli blockade on food and aid entering Gaza has been in place since March 2.

“WFP cannot safely operate under a distribution system that limits the number of bakeries and sites where Gaza’s population can access food. WFP and its partners must also be allowed to distribute food parcels directly to families — the most effective way to prevent widespread starvation,” the WFP said.

The Israeli blockage on humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip has caused widespread malnutrition and conditions likely to lead to famine, according to the U.N. and other international aid organizations.

One in five people in Gaza, about 500,000 people, faces starvation, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification platform said on May 12, according to the U.N.

The Israeli government is working with the U.S. to set up aid distribution points in southern and central Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday. But the plan faces criticism from established aid organizations that have been operating inside of Gaza for the past 19 months.

“We will not take part in any scheme that fails to respect international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement about the U.S.-Israeli deal.

The Israeli-American system for distributing aid in Gaza is set to begin on Monday, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Protesters decry ‘crypto corruption’ as Trump fetes top investors in his crypto meme coin

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(STERLING, VA.) — Calling them “pioneers,” President Donald Trump praised the top investors in his cryptocurrency meme coin at an exclusive black-tie dinner Thursday as protesters outside the event chanted and displayed signs blasting the gala as a pay-for-play event.

Two hundred and twenty cryptocurrency traders, including many from overseas, pumped tens of millions of dollars into Trump’s meme coin to gain admission to the gala through a contest that awarded invitations to the top investors — with at least some of the funds flowing directly into the Trump family’s coffers.

Among those spotted arriving for the event at Trump’s private golf club outside Washington were Lamar Odom of the NBA and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” fame, controversial cryptocurrency mogul Justin Sun, and Kendall Davis, an Austin-based cryptocurrency investor, who told ABC News that he “came here to advocate for things to be done right in the crypto space.”

The top 220 holders of Trump’s meme coin — a type of digital currency that’s often based on an internet meme — collectively spent upwards of $140 million for a seat at the table on Thursday, according to an analysis by the data analytics firm Nansen. According to CNBC’s reporting of blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis’ data, 58 crypto wallets had made millions from their Trump coin investments as of May 6 — while roughly 764,000 crypto wallets had lost money.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the gala was not a White House event and that the president was attending in a personal capacity. The White House did not release a list of the event’s attendees.

Protesters outside the event — which included Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. — chanted slogans and displayed signs reading “Stop Trump’s Crypto Corruption” and “America is not for sale” as attendees made their way into the venue.

Trump, addressing attendees at the dinner, said that he always puts the country “way ahead of the business” and added, “You can’t say that about Hunter Biden and Joe Biden,” according to social media posts.

On the topic of cryptocurrency, Trump attacked the previous administration and touted his own administration’s support of crypto.

“The Biden administration persecuted crypto innovators, and we’re bringing them back into the USA where they belong. They were fleeing. They were leaving our country,” Trump was seen saying in a social media video posted by an attendee.

Many of the dinner guests were overseas investors, and several of them told ABC News they had flown into the country just for a chance to see the president of the United States.

One attendee, who asked that he not be identified, told ABC News he flew in from Taiwan for the dinner.

“The second day Trump made the announcement about the dinner, I bought a bunch of tokens,” he said. The attendee said he didn’t have anything specific he wanted to hear from Trump, but that he wanted to attend the dinner because “I just think to have opportunity to come to an event like this is very rare.”

Another attendee, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Alex, told ABC News he is an investment banker from Moscow, Russia, who currently resides in Cancun.

He said he didn’t understand much of what Trump spoke about at the dinner because of the language barrier, but that he’s a supporter of Trump and that he was happy to see him.

Attendee Bryce Paul, in a video he posted to social media, likened Trump’s meme coin gala to crypto’s “Iwo Jima” moment — where attendees would be “raising the flags, behind the enemy lines, right here in the swamp of D.C.”

“I’m just one of 220 people that are invited,” Paul said. “There’s no media, there’s no recording, there are no plus-ones. It’s just truly some of the most influential figures in crypto, in policy, and of course, the man himself.”

4th woman arrested for allegedly assisting escaped New Orleans inmates

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW ORLEANS) — A fourth woman has been arrested for allegedly helping inmates who broke out of a New Orleans jail last week, police said.

Casey Smith, 30, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly assisting two of the 10 inmates who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center on May 16, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

“Through investigation, members of the NOPD’s Special Operations Division Tactical II team obtained information linking Smith to allegedly aiding at least two of the reported escapees as they were transported to multiple locations in the hours following their escape,” the New Orleans Police Department said in a press release on Friday announcing the arrest.

Smith allegedly admitted to aiding in the escapees’ transport along with 32-year-old Cortnie Harris, who was arrested on Wednesday, police said. Smith has been booked for accessory after the fact to simple escape.

Smith is the fifth person, including a jail employee, arrested in connection with the jailbreak.

In addition to Harris, state police announced on Wednesday that 38-year-old Corvanntay Baptiste was arrested and charged with felony counts of being accessories after the fact. They were both booked at the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, officials said.

On Thursday, a Slidell woman was taken into custody for allegedly helping a fugitive who is still at large following the jailbreak, Louisiana State Police said.

Connie Weeden, 59, was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on Thursday. She faces a felony charge of accessory after the fact for allegedly assisting Jermaine Donald, one of the five escapees still on the run, police said.

“Weeden was in contact via phone both before and after the escape,” Louisiana State Police officials said in a statement. “Investigators determined that after the escape, she provided Donald with cash through a cell phone app.”

Donald remains at large, along with four others who broke out of the Orleans Justice Center on May 16. Authorities have recaptured five of the original 10 inmates who escaped.

Law enforcement officials warned that helping fugitives will carry serious consequences.

“Those who choose to assist or conceal these individuals are violating the law and will be held accountable,” said state police. “Harboring fugitives threatens the safety of our communities and will not be tolerated.”

Under Louisiana law, a conviction for accessory after the fact carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $500, or both.

Amid an ongoing investigation into the escape of inmates, the Orleans Parish District Attorney issued subpoenas on Thursday to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson and other sheriff’s office staff members.

The order demanded access to emails, text messages and internal messages from or to Hutson and other sheriff’s office staff and contractors, including those to Sterling Williams, a jail maintenance worker who was arrested in connection with the jailbreak.

Williams, a 33-year-old maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, was arrested and booked into jail Tuesday morning, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.

Williams allegedly shut off the water to a toilet to help clear the way for the inmates to escape, sources said. The prisoners, including three who are charged with second-degree murder and remain on the run, were able to crawl out through a hole after ripping the toilet off its hinges. Williams’s lawyer has denied he intended to help in the inmates’ escape and said a deputy asked him to shut the water off due to a clogged fixture.

“Did he admit he turned the water off? Yes, absolutely, and we’re not denying that. Did he confess to conspiring to aid violent criminals to escape the jail, climb a wall, run across the interstate and terrorize the city? Absolutely not,” lawyer Michael Kennedy told ABC News.

Four other jail employees have been suspended in this investigation.

Georgia teen detained by ICE after mistaken arrest says detention was ‘life-changing’

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(DALTON, Ga.) — The Georgia teen who was arrested in a case of mistaken identity — and then detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over her undocumented status — is saying a day after her release on bond that her time in custody was “life-changing.”

Ximena Arias-Cristobal, 19, was arrested on May 5 in Dalton, Georgia, when her dark gray truck was mistaken for a black pickup that made an illegal turn. Those citations were later dropped once officials realized there was a mix-up, Dalton Assistant Police Chief Chris Crossen said.

But she was still detained by ICE after it was discovered she was an undocumented immigrant.

As she was being transferred to Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, she stopped at some offices in Atlanta, she said.

“They had me in a room by myself for nine hours. I didn’t know what was going on. It was never explained,” Arias-Cristobal told Chattanooga, Tennessee, ABC affiliate WTVC Thursday after her release from detention..

“Being in Stewart changed my life. It’s something that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It’s life-changing,” she said.

Arias-Cristobal, a student at Dalton State College, was in the ICE detention center for two weeks.

“It was scary. I was terrified,” Arias-Cristobal told WTVC.

“I won’t ever be the same,” she told Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB in a separate phone interview.

Arias-Cristobal was released on a $1,500 bond and the government did not wish to appeal, according to her attorney.

“We do not have another hearing currently scheduled. It would be remarkable if it is before mid-2026,” Charles Kuck, an attorney for Arias-Cristobal, told WTVC.

She was granted bond on Wednesday and reunited with family at her home on Thursday.

The teen came to the U.S. with her parents when she was 4 years old and is ineligible for relief from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which temporarily protects some migrants from deportation if they were brought to the country as children, an attorney for Arias-Cristobal told ABC News.

Arias-Cristobal was not eligible to register for the DACA program because it ended before she became eligible to apply at 16 years old.

The Department of Homeland Security said following her detainment that it is committed to ordering Arias-Cristobal to “self-deport” to Mexico and that she “admitted to illegally entering the United States and has no pending applications with USCIS.”

Measles cases reach 1,046 in US as infections confirmed in 30 states: CDC

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Measles cases have reached 1,046 as the virus continues spreading across the United States, according to data updated Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Cases have been confirmed in 30 states including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Infectious disease experts have previously said the U.S. is likely on track to surpass the 2019 total of 1,274 cases, which were confirmed over the course of a year. This year’s total also marks the second highest case count in 25 years, CDC data shows.

The CDC says 12% of measles patients in the U.S. this year have been hospitalized, the majority of whom are under age 19.

About 96% of measles cases are among those who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, according to CDC data.

Meanwhile, 1% of cases are among those who have received just one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and 2% of cases are among those who received the recommended two doses, according to the CDC.

At least three deaths have been confirmed this year, two among children and one among an adult, all of whom were unvaccinated.

It comes as an unvaccinated traveler with measles may have exposed people at Denver International Airport and a nearby hotel, health officials said on Thursday.

The patient was in the international terminal on Tuesday, May 13, and then took a shuttle to stay at the nearby Quality Inn and Suites that night. The next day, the patient took a shuttle back to the airport and boarded a domestic flight.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment said anybody who may have been exposed on either flight will be directly notified by health officials.

Similarly, a resident of King County in Washington state traveled through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and a medical center while infectious, Public Health – Seattle & King County said on Tuesday. The individual was likely exposed to measles while recently traveling internationally.

Additionally, the New Jersey Department of Health sent out an alert that a non-resident with measles attended the Shakira concert at MetLife stadium last week, potentially exposing people.

Although the concert occurred on May 16, officials warned that people may develop symptoms as late as June 6. So far, no associated cases have been identified.

The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.

Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to a highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. But vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.

“I think the overall and overarching worry we have is that, as vaccination rates decline, we’re starting to now see very contagious diseases such as measles come back and, generally, you need a 95% immunity wall of the population to stop an outbreak,” Dr. Scott Roberts, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine and medical director of infection prevention at New Haven Hospital, told ABC News.

“There are now many areas of the U.S. where we don’t hit that 95% and it’s much lower than that, and I think we’re seeing the consequences,” he continued.

Roberts say he’s worried about misinformation that has arisen around the MMR vaccine such as a link between the vaccine and autism, which has been debunked by several high-quality studies.

“I worry that we are seeing this misinformation and parents are reading these things on the Internet, which is not based in truth,” he said. “What we try to do as health care providers and public health professionals is really just to give the right information out there that the measles vaccine is safe. It is effective and measles itself is not a run-of-the-mill cold; it can lead to these really devastating consequences if somebody’s vulnerable and gets infected.”

Dr. Karen Tachi Udoh is an internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

Accused neo-Nazi cult leader extradited to US, as DOJ alleges ties to deadly Nashville school shooting

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The alleged leader of a neo-Nazi cult based overseas has been extradited to the United States and accused of inspiring “multiple senseless killings” around the world, including the shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, that four months ago left one student dead and another injured, according to the Justice Department.

In a letter to a federal judge filed Friday morning, the Justice Department said that Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national arrested in Moldova last year, is scheduled to be arraigned later in the day in U.S. federal court in Brooklyn.

Chkhikvishvili was indicted last year on several federal charges, including two counts of soliciting hate crimes and other violent attacks. According to the Justice Department, he was a leader of the “Manian Murder Cult,” a Russian and Ukrainian-based extremist group also known as “MKY” that promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, and others it deems “undesirables.”

In announcing his indictment last year, the Justice Department said Chkhikvishvili – who allegedly also goes by the moniker “Commander Butcher” – distributed a self-authored “Hater’s Handbook” encouraging readers to commit school shootings and other mass “terror attacks,” providing suggested methods and strategies.

The Justice Department also said he planned and solicited help for a mass casualty attack targeting Jews and other minorities in New York City on New Year’s Eve, but the person he solicited was actually an undercover FBI agent.

Since his arrest in July of last year, Chkhikvishvili had been held in Moldova. But he is now expected to appear is a U.S. federal court on Friday, and federal prosecutors hope a federal judge will agree to keep him detained pending trial, according to the Justice Department’s filing.

“The defendant’s repeated solicitations of violence have had the intended effect. They have directly resulted in real violence, including multiple senseless killings, in the United States and around the world,” the Justice Department said in its filing.

As an example, the Justice Department wrote: “In January 2025, a 17-year-old student killed one individual and injured another before committing suicide inside Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee. The attacker livestreamed part of the attack. Prior to the attack, in an audio recording posted online and attributed to him, the attacker claimed he was taking action on behalf of MKY and at least one other group. The attacker’s [writings] explicitly mentioned the defendant by name and included numerous references to MKY’s founder, Yegor Krasnov. The attacker stated that he would write Krasnov’s name on his gun.”

The Justice Department also said an August 2024 knife attack in Turkey and the April 2022 murder of an elderly woman in Romania were connected to Chkhikvishvili’s actions.

“The defendant has consistently demonstrated that he is capable of orchestrating deadly attacks from behind a computer screen at home,” the Justice Department added. “Moreover, the defendant has repeatedly stated that he has committed acts of violence and that he intends to commit more. The Court should take the defendant at his word and detain him in the interest of public safety.”

In a statement issued Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case against Chkhikvishvili “is a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Russia, Ukraine begin large prisoner exchange, expected to continue in coming days

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Russia and Ukraine have begun a large exchange of prisoners of war on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said, with around 1,000 soldiers from each side expected to be swapped at the Ukraine-Belarus border when completed.

There have been 270 Russian soldiers and 120 Russian civilians swapped for 270 Ukrainian soldiers and 120 Ukrainian civilians on Friday, according to the defense ministry. The exchange is expected to continue “in the coming days,” Russia said.

“We are bringing our people home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “The first stage of the ‘1000-for-1000’ exchange agreement has been carried out.”

“Thank you to everyone who is helping and working 24/7 to bring Ukrainian men and women back home,” he continued. “It is very important to return everyone who remains in captivity. We are verifying every surname, every detail about each person. We will continue our diplomatic efforts to make such steps possible.”

The exchange was prepared following bilateral peace talks in Istanbul last week.

Though the meeting — the first direct talks between the combatants since the spring of 2022 — failed to agree a ceasefire, the two sides did agree to Friday’s prisoner swap.

Such exchanges have taken place throughout Russia’s 3-year-old invasion, though the swap — once completed — will be by far the largest to date. Prisoner exchanges are one of the few areas in which Moscow and Kyiv have been able to reach an accord during the conflict.

Fierce fighting and long-range drone exchanges continued regardless — and despite continued U.S.-led efforts to produce a ceasefire agreement.

Russia carried out a “large-scale aerial attack” on Ukraine overnight Friday using 175 drones and one ballistic missile, the Ukrainian air force said.

Ukrainian air defenses neutralized 150 of those Russian drones, but damage was reported in the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Odesa, Chernivtsi, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Ukraine’s air force on Wednesday reported 76 Russian drones launched into the country overnight, of which 63 were shot down or lost in flight without causing damage. The air force reported damage in four Ukrainian regions.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces downed at least 162 Ukrainian drones overnight.

ABC News’ Natalia Popova and Tanya Stukalova contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Stocks slide as Trump threatens tariffs on Apple and European Union

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Stocks tumbled in early trading on Friday after President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs targeting tech giant Apple and the European Union.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 458 points, or 1.1%, while the S&P 500 declined 1.2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 1.6%.

Shares of Apple fell nearly 3% at the open of trading. European stocks also declined on Friday, as the STOXX Europe 600 index fell nearly 2%.

In a social media post, Trump urged Apple to manufacture iPhones in the U.S., criticizing the company for plans to shift some production to India in an effort to avoid tariffs slapped on China. If Apple fails to shift iPhone manufacturing to the U.S., Trump said, the company would face a 25% tariff.

Minutes later, Trump issued a social media post slamming the European Union over a trade posture that he described as “very difficult to deal with.” In response,Trump said he is “recommending” a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union to begin on June 1.

The market dip erased some gains made in recent weeks as Trump rolled back levies.

Trump last month exempted phones, computers and chips from so-called “reciprocal tariffs” imposed on China-made goods, which at that time amounted to a 125% levy. The move also excluded such products from a 10% across-the-board tariff imposed on nearly all imports.

Last week, Trump temporarily slashed the reciprocal tariffs on China from 125% to 10% as the U.S. and China hold trade negotiations. China still faces 20% tariffs over its role in the fentanyl trade, bringing total levies on Chinese goods to 30%.

The U.S.-China agreement marked the latest softening of Trump’s levies, coming weeks after the White House paused far-reaching “reciprocal tariffs” on dozens of countries. Trump also eased sector-specific tariffs targeting autos, and rolled back duties on some goods from Mexico and Canada.

An array of tariffs remain in place, however, including an across-the-board 10% levy that applies to imports from nearly all countries. Additional tariffs have hit auto parts, as well as steel and aluminum.

Consumers face the highest overall average effective tariff rate since 1934, the Yale Budget Lab found earlier this month.

A growing set of major retailers have warned of possible tariff-driven price hikes, including Nike, Target, Walmart and Best Buy.

Harvard sues Trump admin for its ban on school enrolling international students

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(CAMBRIDGE, Mass.) — Harvard University sued the Trump administration Friday, alleging that the decision to revoke the school’s ability to enroll international students “is a blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.”

The Trump administration said on Thursday the school lost its ability to use the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (which allows for noncitizens to study at the university under a specific visa) because it had not complied with demands sent last month to supply information on student visa holders.

“As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the university.

Harvard President Alan Gerber pushed back in a message to the university on Friday.

“The government has claimed that its destructive action is based on Harvard’s failure to comply with requests for information from the US Department of Homeland Security. In fact, Harvard did respond to the Department’s requests as required by law,” Gerber said.

In its complaint, Harvard said there is “no lawful justification” for canceling the status.

The school accused the administration of waging an “unprecedented and retaliatory attack” because the university supports policies the administration doesn’t like.

“The government has casually discarded core First Amendment protections, the protections of procedural due process, and DHS’s own regulations to immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and its community. Harvard’s more than 7,000 F-1 and J-1 visa holders — and their dependents — have become pawns in the government’s escalating campaign of retaliation,” the complaint reads.

The dispute over international students is the latest development in the administration’s standoff with one of the country’s most prestigious universities.

Trump has threatened the school’s tax-exempt status and is withholding billions in federal funding after the school’s refusal to comply with the administration’s demands regarding campus policies and governance, including actions on antisemitism and the use of DEI on campus.

Noem wrote to Harvard in April requesting a tranche of information be given to DHS in order for the school to retain its SEVP status.

According to the letter, she asked Harvard to give information over on student visa holder’s “known” illegally activity; violent activity; threats to students or faculty; disciplinary actions taken as a result of being involved in a protest; information on whether the student obstructed the school’s learning environment; and the coursework that the student is taking to maintain the visa status.

Noem said the school did not provide adequate information in response, and that it is a “privilege, not a right” for students to study at American universities.

The latest poll by ABC News/Washington Post found most Americans (66%) took Harvard’s side in the conflict. Thirty-two percent of respondents sided with the Trump administration.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

3rd woman arrested for allegedly assisting New Orleans inmate escapee still at large

May 23, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW ORLEANS) — A Slidell woman was arrested and accused of helping a fugitive who is still at large from the massive New Orleans jailbreak elude capture, Louisiana State Police said.

Connie Weeden, 59, was taken into custody in Slidell and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on Thursday. In addition to jail employees, she is the third person arrested for assisting the Orleans Justice Center’s escaped inmates.

Weeden faces a felony charge of accessory after the fact for allegedly assisting Jermaine Donald, one of the five escapees still on the run.

“Weeden was in contact via phone both before and after the escape,” said LSP officials in a statement. “Investigators determined that after the escape, she provided Donald with cash through a cell phone app.”

Donald remains at large, along with four others who broke out of the Orleans Justice Center on May 16. Authorities have recaptured five of the original 10 who escaped.

Law enforcement officials warned that helping fugitives will carry serious consequences. “Those who choose to assist or conceal these individuals are violating the law and will be held accountable,” said state police. “Harboring fugitives threatens the safety of our communities and will not be tolerated.”

Under Louisiana law, a conviction for accessory after the fact carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $500, or both.

The LSP announced on Wednesday that 32-year-old Cortnie Harris and 38-year-old Corvanntay Baptiste were arrested and charged with felony counts of being accessories after the fact. They were both booked at the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, officials said.

Earlier on Thursday, the Orleans Parish District Attorney issued subpoenas to the Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, and other OPSO staff members as part of an ongoing investigation into the escape of inmates.

The order demanded access to emails, text messages, internal messages, from or to Hutson and other OPSO staff and contractors, including those to Sterling Williams, the jail maintenance worker who was arrested in connection with the jailbreak.

Williams, a 33-year-old maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, was arrested and booked into jail Tuesday morning, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.

Four other jail employees have been suspended in this investigation.

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