HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — The sister of the escaped convict who eluded police last week appeared in Orange County District Court on Thursday.

What You Need To Know

  • Monique Brady appeared in court for the first time on Thursday

  • Brady is charged with two felonies for assisting her brother, Ramone Alston, during his escape

  • Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said prisoner transports deserve a second look

Monique Brady, 43, is charged with two felonies for assisting her on-the-run brother, Ramone Alston. Investigators said Alston escaped a Department of Adult Corrections transport vehicle on August 13 shortly after arriving at a Hillsborough hospital for an appointment. Brady faces charges for aiding and abetting and harboring an escapee. 

Alston is serving a life sentence for the shooting death of 1-year-old Maleah Williams in 2015.

Before Brady walked into the courtroom, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood spoke to reporters. 

“I’ll say it was organized. Well, was questionable,” Blackwood said.

He said Brady was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals but refused to disclose where and how. Brady was ordered to have no contact with her brother or Jacobia Crisp, the woman arrested last week in relation to the escape. Brady chose not to answer questions after her court appearance.

Blackwood said more arrests could be coming as the investigation continues.

Other than minor mentions of the status of the investigation, Blackwood kept answers short and to the point while downplaying the fact he knew Alston since birth.

“I ​​think the unique thing about the role of sheriff, you are selected by your community to take care of the public safety generally, the sheriff knows pretty much (all) the folks in their community. So, the fact that I know them is really not remarkable,” Blackwood said.

The sheriff’s approach to the handling of questions about how well he knows the accused differs from his recent past comments. At one of the press conferences early on in the investigation, he spoke more at length about Alston while he was still on the run.

“I've known Ramone since he was born. He was a, he was a troubled child. And he was. He's been involved in criminal activity since he was a juvenile. He's extremely cagey, extremely dangerous. He has nothing to lose,” Blackwood said on August 14.

What the sheriff did acknowledge is that investigations can be lengthy for extraordinary circumstances. The fugitive was detained by FBI agents three days into being on the loose at a Kannapolis motel. 

“I feel good about the case. This is part of the job. We respond to whatever comes our way,” Blackwood said.

The sheriff also elaborated about why he wants the greater law enforcement community to take a hard look at prisoner transports in this state by pointing to mechanisms in place that could avoid similar issues in the future.

 

“That's not just for the Department of Adult Corrections. That's for every sheriff in this state who has to transport inmates to and from court when these hearings could be done through video,” Blackwood said. “What I have spent my time reflecting on is how we can prevent this in the future hopefully.”

Director of Orange County EMS Services Kirby Saunders helped to establish a command post for multiple investigative units during the manhunt. Saunders said there’s a reason the physical hub for the on-ground investigation was moved to Durham Tech’s Orange County campus and away from the hospital where Alston took off.

“Any time an incident happens around critical infrastructure, we have to look at several things. In this scenario we knew we were going to be bringing a lot of resources to the scene,” Saunders said.

Resources, like manpower, can clog lanes for emergencies and workflows at medical facilities.

“Sheer parking and the number of vehicles alone would top that emergency department atop the hospital and further impact the community to receive health care,” Saunders said.

Beyond expanding the radius of the search with each passing hour and day, OCSO Patrol Capt. Stephen Shaw became the operations section chief on the ground coordinating plans, relaying information and setting a perimeter for multiple local, state and federal agencies involved in tracking down a fugitive.

“Always look at what information is coming in. What’s the value of it? What is the interest to the public? What's the interest to our investigation, and how does that help us accomplish our goal of getting this individual back in custody?” Shaw said.

Brady posted the $30,000 bond for her release Wednesday. Brady’s next court appreance is September 13.