RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A man charged with the murder of Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd has escaped from a jail in Virginia.
The Prince Edward County Sheriff’s Office sent a press release detailing an escape of two inmates, one of them Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo, 26.
“Around 4:00 a.m. this morning, the Sheriff’s Office was notified that two inmates were missing from the Piedmont Regional Jail,” said Prince Edward County Sheriff, L.A. “Tony” Epps. “We launched an immediate search of the area around the jail utilizing a Virginia State Police helicopter, K9 officers and law enforcement from multiple agencies, but with no success.”
CBS 17 previously reported Deputy Ned Byrd was killed on Aug. 11, 2022 on Battle Bridge and Auburn Knightdale roads. Marin-Sotelo was arrested and charged with murder.
Marin-Sotelo was being held at the Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville, Va. He was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Superintendent of the Piedmont Regional Jail Terry Townsend told CBS 17 Marin-Sotelo was the first inmate that escaped around 1 a.m. Sunday morning. Bruce Carroll Callahan was the second inmate that escaped around 11:30 p.m. Sunday evening.
Townsend also said they “manipulated the locking mechanism on the rear exit door” in order to escape.
The Piedmont Jail where Marin-Sotelo was incarcerated is a dorm-like unit with 80 other inmates.
Marin-Sotelo is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. The FBI said Monday afternoon that it was assisting in the hunt for Marin-Sotelo.
“I encourage folks in the area to remain vigilant and to please call 911 if you see anyone matching the descriptions of these two men,” said Sheriff Epps. “We appreciate the support from our many law enforcement partners and the public, as we continue to search from these individuals.”
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed Marin-Sotelo’s escape in a statement:
This morning we received a report from the United States Marshal Service that one of the two defendants, Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo, in the murder case of Deputy Ned Byrd escaped from the Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville, Virginia around 1 am. We are working with our state and federal partners, as well as local authorities in Virginia to ensure all resources are used to bring the defendant back into custody. We will keep you updated as information becomes available.
Wake County Sheriff’s Office
The other escapee is 44-year old Bruce Callahan, also of North Carolina. He has been convicted of multiple federal drug charges, the Prince Edward County Sheriff’s Office said. He is described as a white male, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes.
CBS 17’s Joe Jurney contributed to this story.
