PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Authorities are currently searching for two inmates who reportedly escaped from a jail near Farmville.
According to a release from the Prince Edward County Sheriff’s Office on Monday morning, two inmates, identified as 44-year-old Bruce Callahan and 26-year-old Alder Marin-Sotelo, escaped from Piedmont Regional Jail.
Superintendent of the jail, Jerry Townsend, confirmed that Callahan and Marin-Sotelo escaped by “manipulating a locking mechanism on the rear exit door.” However, the jailbreaks happened nearly 22 hours apart from each other.
Emergency calls from the jail revealed Marin-Sotelo escaped around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, and Callahan followed at 11:18 p.m. that same day. The jail was not notified until Monday morning.
“Around 4 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.”
8News crews observed K9 search units in the wooded area near the jail on Monday afternoon.
Callahan, of North Carolina, had reportedly been convicted of multiple federal drug charges. He is described as a 5-foot-10-inch tall white man with black hair and brown eyes.
Marin-Sotelo, also with ties to North Carolina, had reportedly been convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. However, he was also one of two brothers indicted by a grand jury for the murder of a Wake County Deputy. Marin-Sotelo is described as a 5-foot-6-inch tall Hispanic man, weighing approximately 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
According to authorities, Callahan inmate is wearing blue shorts, no shirt, white socks and white tennis shoes. Sotelo is reportedly wearing gray sweatpants and a sweatshirt.
Anyone who sees these individuals should not approach them, according to authorities.
“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.”
