Convicted murderer escapes on way to North Carolina hospital: Police

Ramone Alston, 30, was convicted of fatally shooting a 1-year-old girl in 2015. Convicted murderer escapes on way to North Carolina hospital: Police A convicted murderer escaped from custody Tuesday morning while being transported to a medical appointment at a North Carolina hospital, the sheriff’s office said. Ramone Alston, 30, broke away from a corrections officer while being escorted to UNC Hospital in Hillsborough, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. “He had freed himself from leg restraints and, still in handcuffs, jumped out and ran into adjacent woods,” the department said in a statement. He was last seen wearing a gray T-shirt, brown pants and white New Balance sneakers, as well as handcuffs connected to a waist chain, officials said. Police are seen at UNC Hospitals Hillsborough campus where Ramone Alston escaped custody, Aug. 13, 2024, in Hillsborough, N.C. WTVD Officials are asking the public to immediately call 911 if they see him and warning them not to approach him. “He’s unpredictable — we don’t know what he’s going to do, so he should certainly probably be considered dangerous,” Keith Acree, a spokesperson for the Department of Adult Correction, said in a press briefing. Wednesday afternoon, officials said the search had moved into a “transition phase.” Alston’s whereabouts are still unknown, though he is believed to have headed north of the hospital. He added they have received two leads they feel are “rock solid,” the sheriff said. Director of Orange County Emergency Services Kirby Saunders said state, local and federal law enforcement teams have searched hundreds of acres for Alston, using aerial assets, helicopters, canine resources and ground searchers. The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction said Tuesday they would offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Alston. If recaptured, officials said he would be moved to a maximum security prison and charged with felony escape. Orange County Sheriff’s Office The infant victim, Maleah Williams, had been playing outside with her Christmas toys when she was struck by gunfire, her mother previously told Raleigh ABC station WTVD. Alston’s family has been cooperating with authorities, Sheriff Charles Blackwood told reporters, though he said “cooperation has been varied.” “He’s extremely cagey, he’s extremely dangerous and he has nothing to lose,” Blackwood said. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/convicted-murderer-escapes-north-carolina-hospital-receiving-medical/story?id=112804549