A convicted murderer who escaped from custody in Hillsborough on Tuesday has been caught.
Officers arrested 30-year-old Ramone Alston just before 2 a.m. Friday at a hotel on Cloverleaf Parkway in Kannapolis. FBI Charlotte SWAT agents, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and Kannapolis police assisted with the arrest. No one was injured during the arrest, officials said.
Alston escaped from custody on Tuesday while on his way to a doctor’s appointment outside UNC Hospital’s Hillsborough campus, prison officials said.
“I am grateful to our DAC staff and thankful for the support and dedication of hundreds of local, state and federal law enforcement officials who assisted in the search and investigation that brought Alston safely into custody,” said Minister Todd Ishee. “This was an incredible collaboration between many people and agencies.”
A female acquaintance, identified by authorities as Jacobia Crisp, was arrested in Alamance County and charged with aiding and abetting escape.
A window was broken at the hotel where Alston was staying. A front desk employee at the hotel said the window was broken during the arrest by police officers. (Spectrum News 1/Claudia Puente)
Investigators are examining whether Alston was supported by other accomplices and whether he committed other crimes during his escape.
Alston is accused of escaping from prison and will be sent to a maximum security prison where he will continue to serve a life sentence for premeditated murder while awaiting further sentencing.
A jury convicted Alston of killing one-year-old Maleah Williams in a drive-by shooting in Chapel Hill on Christmas Day 2015. Alston was found guilty in 2018 and charged with Williams’ death.
Related article: Ramone Alston found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison
Reward
On Thursday, officials increased the reward for information leading to Alston’s capture to $50,000.
After Alston’s escape, officers searched the area around the hospital on the ground and in the air. On Wednesday, officials said the ground search in Orange County had ended as investigators turned their attention to any leads in the search for Alston.
“This man had a plan and there was nothing they could do to figure it out,” Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said Wednesday afternoon.
“He’s extremely cautious. He’s extremely dangerous,” Blackwood said Wednesday. “He has nothing to lose.”
On Thursday, officials increased the reward for information leading to the capture of Ramone Alston to $50,000. (City of Hillsborough via Twitter)
Blackwood said the state Department of Adult Corrections will lead the investigation with assistance from other state and federal agencies.
The sheriff said investigators were pursuing “two solid leads.” He did not provide details but said anyone who helped Alston could face felony charges.
“Aiding and abetting the escape of a prisoner, as in this case, is a Class H felony. If we can prove that you were involved, you will be charged,” he said.
“We know you and we are coming to get you,” Blackwood said.
The search
While searching for Alston, Blackwood asked Hillsborough residents to review their surveillance footage.
“Our neighborhoods are full of Ring cameras,” Blackwood said during a press conference Wednesday morning. “Please check your Ring cameras.”
“He escaped from custody at approximately 7 a.m. when the transport vehicle arrived at the UNC Gastroenterology Unit,” the North Carolina Department of Corrections said. “He had freed himself from the shackles, jumped out, still handcuffed, and ran into the adjacent woods.”
Hundreds of police and security officers searched for Alston (Spectrum News 1)
The sheriff said they have interviewed family members and officials to determine exactly how Alston escaped. The hospital’s security cameras were only a stopgap measure and did not show much, Blackwood said.
“Someone out there knows this was planned and they know who is involved,” Blackwood said.
Blocking
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, UNC Hospital’s Hillsborough campus was briefly locked down Tuesday following the outbreak. Nearby educational facilities, including a school and a daycare center, were also locked down.
Blackwood said he went to high school with Alston’s father and has known Alston “since he was born.” He described Alston as a troubled child who had been involved in criminal activity since childhood.
Anyone with further information is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 919-324-2900.
