Prisoner serving life for murder who escaped in North Carolina has been caught, authorities say
Aug 16, 2024, 2:59 AM | Updated: 9:56 am
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (AP) — A prisoner serving a life sentence for murder who escaped from a transport van earlier this week was captured Friday at a North Carolina hotel, the state corrections department said.
Ramone Alston, 30, escaped from the van on Tuesday as it arrived at the UNC Gastroenterology hospital in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where he was being taken for a medical appointment. He freed himself from his leg restraints and fled into the woods with handcuffs on, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
The department said in a news release that Alston was taken into custody at about 2 a.m. at a hotel in Kannapolis, near Charlotte, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest of Hillsborough.
It said Alston will be charged with felony escape from prison, and was being taken to a high security unit in the state prison system.
The department said that a woman described as an acquaintance of Alston’s was arrested shortly afterward in Alamance County and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive.
