Reward now $70K for ‘extremely dangerous’ man accused of killing Wake Co. deputy
Updated May 4, 3 p.m. The FBI reported that Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo was captured. For details, read this story.
The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service have increased the reward from $50,000 to $70,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of an “extremely dangerous” fugitive from North Carolina who escaped from a Virginia jail on Sunday.
Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo, 26, is charged with murder in the death of Wake County Sheriff’s Deputy Ned Byrd last summer.
He escaped from Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville, Virginia, where he was being held on federal weapons charges, just hours after another inmate escaped.
Marin-Sotelo was seen on surveillance video climbing a fence and escaping around 1 a.m. in an early 2000s red or burgundy Ford Mustang with a 30-day temporary tag, according to the FBI.
Authorities have charged his sister, Adriana Marin-Sotelo, with helping her brother escape, according to federal court documents obtained by ABC11, The News & Observer’s media partner. The documents allege she paid someone $2,500 to leave the car in the jail parking lot for Alder to use.
Marin-Sotelo and the other detainee, Bruce Callahan, 44, both escaped “sometime over the weekend,” according to a Prince Edward County Sheriff L.A. “Tony” Epps. He did not say how they escaped, but said his office was notified around 4 a.m. Monday.
Callahan, who is also from North Carolina, has been convicted on federal weapons and drug charges. The U.S. Marshals Service announced an up to $5,000 reward for tips leading to his capture.
Murder of Wake County deputy
Marin-Sotelo and his brother, Arturo Marin-Sotelo, were charged with murder in the death of Byrd, who was found shot multiple times Aug. 11, 2022, near a gas station on Auburn Knightdale and Battle Bridge roads. Byrd’s canine partner, Sasha, was still in his unmarked SUV.
The brothers evaded capture for several days before being taken into custody near Winston-Salem.
On Monday afternoon, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that it had been made aware of the situation and stated that Marin-Sotelo and Callahan had escaped from the jail around 1 a.m. Sunday.
“We are working with our partners and are ensuring all resources are being used to find Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo,” the tweet said.
Piedmont Regional Jail is 140 miles north of Raleigh in rural Virginia, about halfway between the cities of Lynchburg and Richmond.
Warning to the public
The FBI is instructing anyone who sees Marin Sotelo to call 911 and not approach him. He is considered “extremely dangerous.”
The U.S. Marshals Service said people can also call its 24-hour tip line at 313-202-6458.
This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Reward now $70K for ‘extremely dangerous’ man accused of killing Wake Co. deputy."