An inmate convicted of murder escaped a prison van that was transporting him to an appointment at Hillsborough, N.C.-based UNC Gastroenterology, according to an Aug. 13 report from the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald.
Ramone Alston, who is serving a life sentence at the Bertie Correctional Institution, escaped from custody around 7 a.m. on Aug. 13 when the prison transport van arrived at UNC Gastroenterology.
Mr. Alston was convicted of first-degree murder in a 2015 death. Deputies in the county are using dogs to search a wooded area near the hospital, as well as a helicopter, according to the report.