((UPDATE)) Inmate Arrested on New Charges
UPDATE- Inmate Arrested on New Charges
AMITE (December 16, 2025)- Additional details have been determined regarding a jail inmate taking off from the Tangipahoa Parish courthouse Monday morning.
At this time, the investigation has revealed that shortly before 9 a.m., a transport vehicle arrived to the courthouse from the jail. The vehicle parked in the outside loading dock area and the security gate to the area was closed. Over the next hour, as is standard procedure, small groups of inmates were escorted at different times from the vehicle into the courthouse until the vehicle was empty.
Around 10 a.m., deputies were informed by a courthouse employee of a suspicious person just seen wearing a gray sweat suit and orange flip-flops walking from behind the courthouse. While some deputies began an active pursuit of this individual, deputies inside the courthouse began a headcount of the inmates.
The chase led to a nearby neighborhood where several residents helped direct deputies to follow the individual they had seen running and pulling on vehicle and home door handles. Around 10:45 a.m., K-9 Thor located the individual, now wearing a black sweatsuit, hiding alongside a mobile home. Once in custody, it was determined the individual had a waist chain on underneath his clothes and one hand still restrained by the handcuffs attached to the waist chain. The individual was then positively identified as Donnie Stevenson, 18, who was a waiting trial for 1st Degree Rape, Aggravated Kidnapping, Armed Robbery and Illegal Possession of Stolen Things. Following medical treatment, he was returned to the jail and booked on one count of Simple Escape and one count of Resisting an Officer. Stevenson is in the process of being transferred to another facility.
At this time, it is believed that Stevenson hid in the transport vehicle until everyone had gone inside, removed the orange jail uniform to remain in the gray thermal clothing provided for warmth, got one hand out of the handcuffs, and exited the vehicle. From there, it is believed that Stevenson slid underneath the security gate of the loading dock area, which is when he was immediately spotted and reported. It is currently unknown how or where Stevenson acquired the black clothing he was wearing when captured.
As the investigation into the incident continues, TPSO is also reviewing the policies and procedures surrounding our transport process.
TPSO Public Information Office, pio@tpso.org
