- Darriana Burton is the girlfriend of escaped inmate Derrick Groves.
- She is a former Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office recruit.
- Burton faces a felony charge for conspiracy to commit simple escape.
- Her bond was set at $2.5 million following her arrest.
- Groves was recaptured in Atlanta after nearly five months on the run.
After nearly five months on the run, convicted murderer Derrick Groves was captured in Atlanta on October 8, 2025, finally ending one of the largest manhunt in recent New Orleans history.
While his arrest was the result of a law enforcement operation, the story of his escape is deeply intertwined with his girlfriend, Darriana Burton, a former jail employee now accused of being a key accomplice in his audacious jailbreak.
Who Is Derrick Groves Girlfriend?
Darriana Burton, a 28-year-old former recruit for the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, is officially identified as Derrick Groves’ girlfriend. Her connection to him extends beyond a personal relationship and is now the focus of a major criminal investigation Authorities allege she used her knowledge and access to play an active role in planning his escape from the Orleans Justice Center.
Court documents reveal Burton’s alleged intentional and active involvement in the planning phase of the escape. Just two days before the breakout, she participated in a video call with Groves from inside the jail. During this call, she is accused of holding up a second device to the camera, allowing an unidentified man to join the conversation and facilitating unmonitored communication about the escape plans.
#DerrickGroves was reportedly caught after an argument with his girlfriend the morning of his arrest. Many believe no one actually called the tip line and that it was his girlfriend who gave him up to the Feds. pic.twitter.com/Yseot0X7CA
— TeaWithTia (@RealTeaWithTia) October 9, 2025
A Previous Arrest for Contraband
Burton’s legal troubles related to Groves are not new. Her employment with the Sheriff’s Office was terminated in March 2023 after she was arrested for bringing contraband, including a folding knife and synthetic marijuana, into the jail facility.
While those initial charges were later refused by the District Attorney’s office, this prior incident established a pattern of allegedly using her position to assist him.
Darriana Burton Arrest and High Bond
U.S. Marshals arrested Darriana Burton on June 9, 2025, as part of the ongoing investigation into the May 16 jailbreak. She faces a felony charge of conspiracy to commit simple escape.
A judge set her bond at a formidable $2.5 million, reflecting the seriousness of the allegations against her and the perceived flight risk.
The Final Capture of Derrick Groves
Derrick Groves was apprehended on October 8, 2025, following a brief standoff at a home in southwest Atlanta. A tip to Crimestoppers led authorities to the location, where a SWAT team used gas canisters and a police dog to locate him hiding in a crawl space beneath the house.
Derrick Groves, the last inmate from that New Orleans jail escape a few months back, was caught hiding in a crawl space at a house in Atlanta after a Crimestoppers tip led U.S. Marshals to him. pic.twitter.com/eA4FCQ067Z
— Triip (@triipmag) October 8, 2025
He waived extradition and will return to Louisiana to face upgraded charges of aggravated escape, in addition to his existing murder convictions.
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Last Updated on October 9, 2025 by 247 News Around The World
