Ramone Alston | Convicted murderer escapes before receiving medical treatment at UNC Hospital, Orange County Sheriff’s Office says

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A man convicted of shooting and killing a 1-year-old girl as she played with her new toys on Christmas Day 2015 escaped from police custody Tuesday.

Ramone Alston, 30, was on his way to receive treatment at UNC Hospitals Hillsborough campus at 7 a.m. The sheriff’s office said Alston was able to free himself from leg restraints while inside a North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (DAC) van in the clinic’s parking lot.

“As they (police) pulled up to the rear entrance of the hospital and removed Mr. Alston from the vehicle, he ran away from the officers into the parking lot and toward the woods,” DAC Communications Director Keith Acree said.

The DAC announced Tuesday afternoon that a $25,000 reward would be offered for information leading to Alston’s location.

Two officers were tasked with removing Alston from the vehicle and taking him to a hospital for treatment. Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said the two officers chased Alston as he ran but were unable to keep up.

Alston was wearing a gray T-shirt, brown pants and New Balance tennis shoes when he fled the van. He was last seen with his hands still cuffed in front of him.

“So far, and until further notice, the most distinguishing feature is a person running with a chain around their stomach and handcuffs with a black box,” said Alecia Stemper, communications officer for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. “If you see him, call 911 immediately. Do not approach.”

Alston reportedly has friends and family living in the area. When asked if he thought Alston had help escaping, Blackwood said, “I think that’s probably the case, yes, sir.”

The active search involves 114 people representing multiple agencies. It covers 580 acres, which is about a mile around UNC Hospitals’ Hillsborough campus.

“It’s either within a five-mile radius or it’s out in the world, and we’re looking for both,” Blackwood said.

Search teams said they were thoroughly searching neighborhoods and wooded areas near residential areas to ensure everyone living nearby was safe.

“The main goal and the real goal tonight is to reassure the community that this is not an active, emerging threat to them or their lives,” Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders said.

Authorities are focusing their search on areas near the Waterstone neighborhood and UNC Hospital in Hillsborough. The hospital released a statement, saying in part:

“UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus was placed on lockdown for a short period of time Tuesday morning after a Department of Corrections inmate escaped from the hospital. The inmate fled the hospital campus and law enforcement immediately began searching for him. UNC Hospitals Police worked with law enforcement to increase security on the Hillsborough campus. The lockdown was lifted approximately 8:30 a.m. The safety of our teammates, patients and visitors is our top priority. We are grateful for the quick response from our law enforcement partners.”

Due to the investigation, the Durham Technical Community College campus in Orange County is closed.

Who is Ramone Alston?

Alston was convicted of shooting and killing 1-year-old Maleah Williams on Christmas Day 2015. The shooting happened in Chapel Hill. Maleah’s mother told ABC11 at the time that the children were outside playing with their Christmas toys and she was holding her daughter when someone started shooting in the area. She was running from the area when she realized a bullet had hit Maleah.

Alston and another man, Pierre Je Bron Moore, reached a plea deal in 2019. Alston was sentenced to life in prison for the child’s murder and Moore was sentenced to 28 to 34 years.

ABC11 revealed that Alston recently attempted to get his sentence reduced. Documents show that Alston filed a motion seeking appropriate relief in October 2023.

The 20-page document reviews the evidence and facts in his case. In the document, Alston claims the state used misleading evidence in his case. The motion was denied in May, with a judge saying Alston received a fair and full hearing and that the motion’s claims for appropriate relief were without merit.

Other escapees in North Carolina

According to the DAC, 33 escaped inmates are on the run in North Carolina.

The last escapee was Alston. The oldest escapee was Eddie Leonard. He escaped on March 26, 1962. Leonard was in prison for first-degree burglary.

Of the 33 inmates, all but two escaped in the 1900s. Alston and Delfino Juarez are the only DAC inmates to have escaped in the 21st century and not been apprehended. Juarez escaped on September 30, 2000.

Due to the time that has passed since many of the inmates escaped, the DAC said it is uncertain how many of the 33 escapees are currently alive.