Third brother charged in shooting death of Wake County deputy Ned Byrd

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The younger brother of the two men accused of killing Wake County deputy Ned Byrd has been charged in connection with the case.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that Rolando Marin-Sotelo, 19, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to murder. He was already jailed in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service in Durham County.

Rolando Marin-Sotelo is the brother of Alder Marin-Sotelo, 25, and Arturo Marin-Sotelo, 29, who are facing murder charges for the Aug. 11 killing of Byrd, who was shot multiple times while responding to a call on Auburn Knightdale Road near Battle Bridge Road in the eastern part of Wake County.

According to Wake County court documents, Rolando assisted his brothers after the shooting by selling the vehicle, a red Chevrolet Colorado, they were using the night Byrd was killed.

The vehicle was seen on dashcam video at the scene of the shooting. Authorities said Rolando sold the vehicle to a man identified only as "Beto." Court records showed investigators found that man and he confirmed that he bought the vehicle from Rolando Sotelo-Marin.

Rolando, whose address is listed as in Winston-Salem, was transferred from federal custody to county custody on Wednesday and will make a first court appearance Thursday.

He was given a $1 million secured bond.

Rolando had been in custody since Aug. 16, 2022, when he was detained by Forsyth County deputies after a traffic stop. In that incident, a deputy stopped a car that had fictitious plates and illegal window tint. The deputy said they smelled marijuana in the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle found two boxes of 9mm ammunition and a backpack with loose 5.56mm rifle rounds.

Rolando was arrested after he told deputies he was a Mexican citizen and had no identification. He was then taken to the Forsyth County Jail on an outstanding order for arrest for driving with license revoked. U.S. Customs determined that Rolando was not legally a United States resident and he was facing deportation proceedings at the time of his arrest in the Ned Byrd case. He was held in federal custody on a charge of an alien in possession of ammunition, according to the FBI. Rolando subsequently pleaded guilty to that charge, which was later dismissed on Aug. 29.

Federal records newly uncovered by the ABC11 I-Team also identify an inmate, Geovanni Torres-Santana, who reportedly aided Alder Marin-Sotelo escape from a Virginia jail. He was captured in Mexico four days after his brazen jailbreak.

Investigators said Torres-Santana called his sister and got her to pick up a getaway car in High Point from Marin-Sotelo's sister. That car was then parked outside the Virginia jail and used by Marin-Sotelo to escape.

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