HAMMOND — Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker held a press conference to provide details on the recapture of 20-year-old escaped inmate Jamarcus Cyprian.
Cyprian was captured on Wednesday, November 20, after being found hiding in the utility closet of an apartment off Quick Boulevard in Hammond, armed with a gun.
The 20-year-old was booked on charges including simple escape, unlawful possession of machine guns, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Sticker also stated that Cyprian is a person of interest in a double homicide that happened in Amite in July and may potentially be connected to other crimes in the Dallas area.
Since his recapture, Sticker said Cyprian has not revealed much about his time on the run.
“All he has basically told us is he believes he was wrongfully convicted and that he had no intentions of ever turning himself in,” Sticker said.
How a shooting led to Cyprian’s eventual capture
Cyprian was located after TPSO Narcotics detectives were monitoring an apartment complex on Rufus Bankston Road in Hammond on November 18 for suspected drug activity. While observing the complex, TPSO agents saw a black Honda Civic approach the area when someone jumped out of a Nissan Sentra and began shooting at the occupants of the Civic. Sticker said TPSO detectives pursued the Nissan, but the suspects in the vehicle escaped.
Although no injuries were reported in connection with the shooting, detectives eventually located the Civic at an apartment complex on Quick Boulevard in Hammond. This discovery led detectives to obtain a search warrant for an apartment in the complex.
Inside the apartment, Cyprian was found hiding in a closet with a gun, a change of clothes, and a bag containing his hair clippings. Sticker said he believed Cyprian was in the process of attempting to alter his appearance to evade capture.
Four others inside the apartment were also taken into custody.
They are being booked on the following charges:
- Mi’keem Jackson, 18, of Baker: Booked on Principal to Escape and Unlawful Possession of Machine Guns.
- Parish Brumfield, 18, of Ponchatoula: Booked on Principal to Escape.
- Brad Bennett, 18, of Amite: Booked on Principal to Escape.
- Dejonae Demouchet, 20, of Hammond: Booked on Principal to Escape, Unlawful Possession of Machine Guns, and an outstanding warrant for Child Endangerment.
Authorities also arrested 26-year-old Jaylin Robertson in connection with the shooting that happened on Rufus Bankston.
TPSO is also still searching for two additional suspects:
- Johnathan Robertson, 23
- Julien Felder, 18
During the press conference, Sticker said Cyprian had been moving between the Hammond and Dallas areas before his capture and explained why he believes Cyprian didn’t remain in Dallas.
“It’s speculation, but I would assume he’s committed criminal activity and that Dallas PD was actively looking for him as well, so it may have gotten a little hot over there,” Sticker explained. “I surmised all along that he probably wasn’t going to be too far away. He’s got no support network other than his criminal friends. He’s got no means of getting a job. I understand he was bouncing from place to place. When he would come across someone, he would give them a fake name. There’s no means for him to cross the border into Mexico or leave the country, so I’m just glad that through hard work, dogged determination, and a little bit of luck, we were able to get Mr. Cyprian back in custody.”
Sticker also noted that he took over as Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff on July 1, roughly a month after Cyprian and three other inmates escaped from the Tangipahoa Parish Jail. He said his administration has been actively working to enhance security and safety measures at the jail since then.
“We took over July 1, and we haven’t looked back. We knew going in that the jail was an old facility. It’s historically been understaffed, and the employees are underpaid. I’m working tirelessly to try to change that tide and correct it. My biggest headache has probably been that jail, but it’s not a problem that we’re shying away from. The men and women that we have working there are phenomenal,” Sticker said.
Anyone with information about these suspects, crimes, or Cyprian’s escape is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Office at 985-902-2088.
If you’d prefer to share information anonymously, you can do so through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s tip line at 1-800-554-5245 or visit www.tangicrimestoppers.com and click on the P3 Tips icon or Submit A Tip!
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