Man who escaped from Virginia prison captured after college student pulls fire alarm

The site where Callahan was found is only a 10-minute drive from the Farmville prison.

Chief Larry Moltzan with the U.S. Marshal's Eastern District said Callahan approached a college student on the campus of Longwood. She knew something was not right, and the marshal service said she pulled the fire alarm so police would come.

"Early this morning, Mr. Callahan approached a college student on Longwood University campus and she obviously felt a little concerned, ran over, pulled the fire alarm, and Farmville police showed up and placed him in custody." said Chief Moltzan.

Longwood University sent out an alert Monday at 6:55 a.m., adding that the inmate was in poor health when he came onto campus.

"Campus community, please be aware that this morning at 5:34 a.m. Longwood University police identified and detained one of the escaped inmates from Piedmont Regional Jail without incident. Farmville Police assisted in the arrest."

"There is no indication that he had previously been on Longwood property. With this arrest, both escaped inmates are back in law enforcement custody and this incident is now closed."

Moltzan said Callahan had been living in the woods surviving off of river water.

"Given how far Sotelo was able to make it from Farmville, I think he had a better plan in place," said Moltzan said. "Rather than Callahan that didn’t make it outside of Farmville."

He was taken to the hospital to be checked out for dehydration, and he is now out of the hospital in marshal's custody being questioned. Moltzan said Callahan will not be going back to Piedmont Regional Jail.

Callahan was one of two inmates who escaped from Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville, Virginia, on April 30.

Callahan was convicted of multiple federal drug charges. His record shows charges for trafficking large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine in Robeson County.

"We are still trying to piece it together - how much they knew and if they helped each other in any way," Moltzan said.

Callahan is currently at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia.

Callahan and Marin-Sotelo were bunkmates at Piedmont Regional Jail.

An interview conducted with confidential source revealed Callahan paid $5,000 for transportation arrangements regarding his escape -- $1,000 for the driver of the vehicle scheduled to pick Callahan up, $1,000 for the subject supplying the vehicle and $3,000 for the subject facilitating the transport.

An interview also revealed the driver arrived at Piedmont Regional Jail on May 1 at 12:20 a.m. and waited until 1:27 a.m. for Callahan. The driver departed without Callahan.

Jail staff provided investigators with video that showed Marin-Sotelo and Callahan going over the facility's perimeter fence.

Jerry Townsend, superintendent of the Piedmont Regional Jail, said jail officials believe the inmates "manipulated the locking mechanism on the rear exit door" and escaped.

Problems with Va. jail's locks were known for months before murder suspect's escape

The board that oversees Piedmont Regional Jail in southern Virginia has known for months that locks at the facility were "failing," WRAL Investigates found in minutes from meetings of the jail authority board dating back to December 2022.

The bunkmates escaped within 22 hours of each other, but the jail superintendent said guards didn't notice the inmates were missing until about 26 hours after Marin-Sotelo escaped.

The warrants for her arrest provide a timeline of the escape plan.

12:10 p.m.: An unidentified inmate at Piedmont Regional Jail calls a sibling and arranges for the sibling to pick up the getaway car in High Point

4:56 p.m.: The inmate gives their sibling Adriana Marin Sotelo's phone number and tells them to contact her to arrange a spot to pick up a car to bring to Piedmont Regional Jail.

6:04 p.m.: Alder calls Adriana and tells her to get the car to the other inmate's sibling and to pay them $2,500 for dropping the car off at the jail.

Adriana meets the sibling of another Piedmont Regional Jail inmate at Palacious Automotive in High Point. She had just bought the Mustang for $3,000 and brought a paper license plate to put on the vehicle.

10:46 p.m: The sibling video calls the unidentified inmate to show they were leaving the red Mustang in the jail lot.

1:18 a.m.: Alder Marin-Sotelo escapes.

1:40 a.m.: Alder is seen on surveillance video jumping over the jail fence.

5:40 a.m.: Alder is seen on surveillance video driving away in the red Mustang. According to the jail, the car was parked in a lot near jail property.

11:10 a.m.: The unidentified inmate calls the sibling and talks about how they can't get in touch with Adriana to get the other $2,500 they were promised.

11:30 p.m.: Bruce Callahan escapes Piedmont Regional Jail.

3:19 a.m.: Jail staff notices Alder Marin-Sotelo and Bruce Callahan missing.

4 a.m.: Prince Edward County Sheriff's Department is notified of the escapes.

Sometime on Monday: The sibling of the unidentified inmate is interviewed by investigators. Adriana Marin Sotelo is arrested and booked into Guilford County Jail.