Hyde County Correctional escapee caught, ending four-day search

HYDE COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - A Hyde County Correctional Center escapee was caught this evening.

Deputies in Hyde County say 32-year-old Francisco Cardenas was found walking on the road of Highway 264 near Swan Quarter, ending the four-day search.

According to deputies, he is now facing charges of felony escape and will be housed in a higher custody level.

The sheriff’s office says Cardenas was discovered missing during a routine headcount at the facility.

He was convicted in Lee County and was serving a 5-to-8-year sentence for drug trafficking and was scheduled for release in January 2029.