A convicted murderer, who escaped custody in Hillsborough Tuesday, has been captured. A woman was also charged in the case.
Officers found 30-year-old Ramone Alston at a hotel on Cloverleaf Parkway in Kannapolis just before 2 a.m. Friday. FBI Charlotte SWAT agents, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and Kannapolis police helped in his capture. No one was injured in the process, officials said.
Alston escaped custody Tuesday outside UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus while on the way to a medical appointment, prison officials said.
A female acquaintance, identified by authorities as 32-year-old Jacobia Crisp, was arrested at her home in Burlington at about 2 a.m. and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive. She was booked into the Alamance County Detention Center under a $30,000 bond and is awaiting transfer to Orange County.
Authorities did not detail the relationship between Alston and Crisp, but did say their relationship began over the phone a few months ago after Alston went to prison.
"I am grateful to our DAC staff and thankful for the support and effort from hundreds of local, state and federal public safety officers who helped in the search and investigation that returned Alston safely to custody," state Department of Adult Correction Secretary Todd Ishee said. "This was an incredible collaborative effort of many people and agencies."
Investigators are looking into whether any additional accomplices aided Alston, and whether he committed any other crimes while on the run.
Alston is being charged with felony escape from prison. He has been taken to the Granville Correctional Institution's high-security maximum control unit, the state prison system's most secure, to resume serving his life sentence, according to Ishee.
During a Friday afternoon press conference, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said Alston was on the run for three days and likely stayed in North Carolina because of lack of resources.
“The resources that he had were not strong enough to get him out of the proximity,” Blackwood said.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers took part in finding Alston.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for their diligent, around-the-clock efforts to take Mr. Alston into custody," Jeff Nieman, district attorney for Chatham and Orange counties, said in a statement. "We are acutely aware how unsettling this has been for the public here in Orange County and beyond. Rest assured, any crimes committed within our jurisdiction by Mr. Alston and any accomplices will be prosecuted by our office.”
In a post to X (formerly known as Twitter), North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper thanked law enforcement for their quick apprehension of Alston, saying in part, "I appreciate their coordination and commitment to keeping our communities safe."
A jury in 2018 convicted Alston in the 2015 Christmas Day killing of 1-year-old Maleah Williams in a drive-by shooting in Chapel Hill.
Related article: Ramone Alston found guilty of first-degree murder, sentenced to life in prison
Reward
On Thursday, officials increased the reward to $50,000 for information leading to Alston's capture. Authorities are still looking into whether anyone qualifies to receive reward money.
Officers on the ground and in the air searched the area around the hospital following Alston’s escape. Wednesday, officials said the manhunt on the ground in Orange County was over as investigators refocused their attention to leads in finding Alston.
"That man had a plan, and there was nothing they could do to know it," Blackwood said Wednesday afternoon.
"He's extremely cagey. He's extremely dangerous," Blackwood said Wednesday. "He has nothing to lose."
Blackwood said the state Department of Adult Corrections would take the lead on the investigation with help with from other state and federal agencies.
The sheriff said investigators were following up on "two solid leads." He did not give specifics, but did say that anyone who helped Alston would face felony charges.
"The aiding and abetting in the escape of an inmate such as this is a Class H felony. If we can prove that you were involved in this, you're going to be charged," he said.
"We know you, and we’re coming for you," Blackwood said.
The search
During the search for Alston, Blackwood asked residents in Hillsborough to check surveillance camera footage.
“Our neighborhoods are riddled with Ring cameras," Blackwood said during a Wednesday morning press conference. "Please check your Ring cams.”
"He escaped from custody around 7 a.m. when the transport vehicle arrived at UNC Gastroenterology," the North Carolina Department of Corrections said. "He had freed himself from leg restraints and, still in handcuffs, jumped out and ran into adjacent woods."
The sheriff said they interviewed family members and officers, trying to figure out exactly how Alston escaped. Hospital surveillance cameras did not show much, according to Blackwood.
"Somebody out there knows that this was planned and they know who's involved in it," Blackwood said.
Blackwood said they are investigating how Alston was able to remove his leg restraints.
The Department of Correction employees involved were transferred to non-transportation related duties while they wait for the after-action review.
The review will look at the incident in its entirety to help improve policies.
Lockdown
UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus went on lockdown for a short time after the escape Tuesday, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Nearby learning centers, including a school and a daycare, were also placed on lockdown.
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 was involved in criminal activity since he was young.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office tip line at 919-324-2900.