Escaped Robeson County inmate found hours later at convenience store

LUMBERTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- The inmate who escaped Robeson County state prison Wednesday afternoon was caught several hours later at a convenience store.

Robeson County Sheriff's Office said Michael A. Alvarez, 30, of Angier, escaped the prison on NC Highway 711 in Lumberton before 2 p.m.

Investigators learned that a woman driving a white 2003 Ford Taurus picked him and drove off. the vehicle was found abandoned at Morgan Britt Apartments on Highway 72.

Law enforcement tracked down Alvarez at a convenience store just before 11 p.m. Wednesday.