UPDATE: The latest information on this ongoing search for Ramone Alston can be found here.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office are continuing their search of an escaped state inmate on Tuesday afternoon, as authorities seek a man who fled custody when arriving to UNC Hospitals’ Hillsborough campus in the morning.
The sheriff’s office, as well as state Department of Adult Correction, said it is searching for 30-year-old Ramone Alston. According to the state Department of Adult Correction — which issued its own release Tuesday morning — Alston was being transported from Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor, N.C. to a medical appointment in Hillsborough. When the transport van arrived at UNC Gastroenterology on Waterstone Drive, Alston ran into the adjacent woods while being removed by two officers from the van and after freeing himself from leg restraints. An OC Alert message was issued to the public at 7:29 a.m. and the sheriff’s office shared its Facebook post around 7:45 a.m.
The investigating authorities held a press briefing at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, saying the search for Alston is still ongoing. A “massive” ground search in a one-to-two mile radius around UNC Hospitals Hillsborough is continuing — with officers checking anywhere that might “provide an area of concealment for Alston,” according to the sheriff’s office update.
“While the number one objective is to locate where Alston is, it is also imperative that we determine where he is not,” said Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders. “Efforts will continue until Alston is in custody.”
A photo of Ramone Alston, 30, taken in March 2023. (Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.)
Alston is a convicted murderer, having been found guilty in 2018 for the death of a 14-month-old infant, Maleah Williams, on Christmas Day in 2015. He is serving a life sentence over the charges stemming from a drive-by shooting at the Trinity Court Apartments community in Chapel Hill. A Chapel Hill resident himself before being imprisoned, Alston still has family and friends in the area, according to the Department of Adult Correction.
The state department received approval from Governor Roy Cooper on Tuesday afternoon to offer a $25,000 reward to anyone who comes forward with information that leads to the capture of Alston.
According to the sheriff’s office, Alston was wearing a gray t-shirt, brown pants, and white New Balance tennis shoes when last seen — as well as handcuffs connected to a belly chain with a black box over the junction.
Authorities say if someone sees Alston, call 911 immediately and do not approach him. People in the area are encouraged to keep doors, vehicles, and windows locked and to report any suspicious activities to emergency responders by calling 911.
A UNC Health alert sent to employees and stakeholders shortly before 9 a.m. described Alston’s escape as he was “arriving at the UNC Hospitals’ Hillsborough Campus.” The alert said there is no immediate threat to the safety of UNC Hospitals’ Hillsborough campus after the facility locked down from around 7:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m.
Additional UNC Health facilities around Waterstone Drive and Highway 86 went into lockdown, according to UNC Health. Two clinics in the area – UNC’s urgent care and family medicine Hillsborough locations – closed for the remainder of Tuesday, with law enforcement and hospital police providing escorts of staff to their cars. A UNC Health spokesperson told Chapelboro all other Hillsborough facilities are open and operating normally, with employees requested to stay alert and report anything suspicious.
The Durham Technical Community College facilities off Waterstone Drive stayed in lockdown for all of Tuesday, with the school cancelling classes in the afternoon and urging people to not come to the Orange County campus. The college said it would provide another update later on Tuesday evening regarding classes and activities for Wednesday.
Hillsborough Elementary School continued operating on a soft lockdown, according to Orange County Schools, which kept students inside for learning and included all after-school activities being done inside. Student dismissals involved law enforcement escorts to vehicles and extra security.
Editor’s Note: The story has been updated to reflect the latest information shared by investigators at a 1:30 p.m. press conference on Tuesday. Part of the updates include Alston not “jumping” from the vehicle, but escaping while being removed.
Featured photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
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