Louisiana murder suspect who escaped custody after pepper-spraying deputy is found in New Orleans hotel

The Louisiana murder suspect who escaped custody by pepper-spraying his transporting deputy and stealing her vehicle following a hospital visit, was found Tuesday in a New Orleans hotel, officials said. 

Leon Ruffin, 51, had been in custody on a second-degree murder charge when he brazenly escaped custody Sunday.

Two days later, he was tracked down to a hotel in New Orleans East and taken into custody around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday by Jefferson Parish deputies, the New Orleans Police Department and the U.S. Marshal Service, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto announced during a news conference.

He was found alone in the hotel room and search warrants were being conducted inside. It’s not clear which hotel he was in. 

“I’m certain that we will have additional arrests related to this,” Lopinto said when asked about accomplices. “He’s back in JPS custody and will stay here for a long time.”

The sheriff said it’s believed Ruffin was in the hotel room for most of the time he was on the lam.

“Most of the time, I think he was there. So pretty much locked up in a hotel room instead of a jail cell. I don’t think he had a really good, good time over the last two days,” Lopinto said.

He has since been charged with motor vehicle theft, aggravated escape, battery of an officer with intent to injure and being a fugitive, online booking records show. 

Ruffin escaped Sunday after he was taken to a local hospital after suffering a possible seizure, officials said.

When he was leaving the hospital with a deputy, he created “a disturbance” that caused the deputy to exit their marked patrol car and open a door to check on him. Ruffin then pepper sprayed her and escaped in that vehicle, Lopinto previously said.

The deputy was treated for pepper spray at the hospital and was in “good spirits” after the incident. Authorities did not know how Ruffin got his hands on pepper spray.

Lopinto said he believed Ruffin had faked injuries in the corrections center’s medical facility prior to the hospital visit to avoid wearing shackles and handcuffs.

Ruffin had been held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center since July, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his friend Gannon Johnson. Ruffin pleaded not guilty to the killing, NOLA.com reported.