On Monday, Virginia’s Prince Edward County Sheriff’s Office released a statement that two inmates had escaped from Piedmont Regional Jail near Richmond at the weekend. One of the escapees is charged with the murder of a Wake County, South Carolina Sheriff’s deputy last August.
Both escapees remain at large.
“Around 4:00 a.m. this [Monday] 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,” he added.
The Virginia State Police and the U.S. Marshall’s Office have joined the Sheriff’s Office in the search.
The FBI later joined the manhunt when it was confirmed that one of the escaped prisoners, 26-year-old Alder Marin-Sotelo—an illegal alien who had been convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm—had also been charged with murder.
He and his brother, Arturo Marin-Sotelo, were both charged in the killing of Wake County K-9 Deputy Ned Byrd on August 11, 2022. The deputy was shot three times when he left his car to check the brothers’ pickup truck parked by the roadside, police reported.
The FBI is offering a reward of $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
The two brothers are yet to face trial for the homicide.
Alder Marin-Sotelo pleaded guilty to the murder in December.
Alder Marin-Sotelo escaped the Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville, VA. He is charged with murdering a @WakeSheriff Deputy in August 2022. Call 911 if you see him. He is believed to have left the jail in a early 2000 red or burgundy Ford Mustang. pic.twitter.com/JQ27M1WCFk
— FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) May 1, 2023
Marin-Sotelo is described as a Hispanic male, 5-feet-6-inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He is believed to have escaped from the prison complex in a red or burgundy Ford Mustang.
Law enforcement has put up digital billboard images across the states of North Carolina and Virginia.
Marin-Sotelo is believed to be armed and extremely dangerous. “If you see him, do not approach him,” the FBI warned in a tweet. “Please call 911.”
The second escapee is 44-year-old Bruce Carroll Callahan from North Carolina. Callahan was being held on federal drug and weapons charges issued by the U.S. district court of North Carolina.
Callahan is described as a Caucasian male, 5-feet-6-inches tall, 145 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.
U.S. Marshals have issued a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of Callahan, who is also described as a dangerous individual.
“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 for these individuals.”
Tips can be referred to the U.S. Marshals Service 24-hour hotline at 313-202-6458, or via the USMS Tips App.
