OAN Staff Avril Elfi
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 4:37 PM
A search is ongoing for convicted murderer Ramon Alston after he escaped custody in a parking lot at the University of North Carolina Hospital Hillsboro campus.
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On Tuesday, Alston broke free from his leg restraints just after 7 a.m., sprinted out of a parking lot at UNC Hospital’s Hillsboro campus and into the woods.
After more than 30 hours of searching, authorities announced Wednesday afternoon that they were “confident” Alston had left the scene and said local residents were not in immediate danger.
A total of 335 people from 19 different agencies participated in the 1,335-acre search area around Hillsboro Medical Center.
Officials said the coordinated ground search will eventually conclude and be handed over to an investigation led by the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (DAC).
“Authorities are looking for evidence that Mr. Alston may have been there — footprints, abandoned remains, handcuffs, clothing — anything they can find that may support the direction of travel and how he may have evaded capture,” Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Sanders said.
Alston was convicted of shooting and killing 1-year-old infant Marieah Williams in Chapel Hill on Christmas Day in 2015. Williams’ mother told the station the children were still outside playing with presents when the shots were fired.
She began to run but realized her daughter had been hit by a bullet.
There have been multiple sightings of Alston, but none have been “officially confirmed,” Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said.
“We don’t have any concrete leads at this point,” Blackwood said. “Someone knows about this plan and we know who is involved.”
Blackwood also said he went to the same school as Alston’s father and has known the fugitive his whole life.
“I’ve known Ramone since he was born. He’s a troubled kid, he’s been involved in criminal activity since he was a boy. He’s very cautious, very dangerous and he has nothing to lose.”
According to the sheriff’s office, Alston was wearing a “gray T-shirt, brown pants and white New Balance tennis shoes” when he fled.
The US Marshals Service has offered an additional $10,000 in cash rewards for information leading to Alston’s arrest, bringing the total cash reward to $35,000 at this time.
A new phone number has been established to help streamline information for investigators working the case. (919) 324-1082.
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