Woman who escaped Louisiana prison captured in downtown L.A.
A 33-year-old woman who escaped from a Louisiana prison while serving time for manslaughter was arrested in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.
Keana Barnes is believed to have broken out of the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women by jumping out her first-floor cell window and scaling several fences, including at least one barbed wire fence, on Jan. 1.
Her bold escape and violent criminal history earned her a spot on the U.S. Marshals Service’s 15 Most Wanted fugitive list.
On Monday night, two Los Angeles police officers recognized her near 5th and Hill streets. After intensive questioning, she revealed her name and was taken into custody, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
Police believe that Barnes arrived in Los Angeles by bus less than 24 hours before her arrest. During nearly three months on the run, she spent time in several U.S. cities and Mexico, the LAPD said.
Barnes was arrested in New Orleans in March 2002 after stabbing her victim 17 times, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. While awaiting trial for that killing, she shot a man to death.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
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Twitter: @cindychangLA
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