Jairo Roney Cabrera-Escoto

A man living in Rowan County under a false name who has been wanted on drug charges for 10 years was arrested by Rowan County Sheriff’s deputies Thursday, June 5.

According to information from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has been working with an agency from Utah for the last week surveilling Jairo Roney Cabrera-Escoto. Cabrera-Escoto was believed to have been involved in drug trafficking operations that originated in Utah.

RCSO detectives were able to find Cabrera-Escoto and, with the assistance of patrol officers, made a traffic stop on June 4. During the stop, Cabrera-Escoto provided numerous false names and information to avoid being taken into custody.

Nonetheless, he was arrested and initially charged with crimes relating to the traffic stop.

Additional investigation proved Cabrera-Escoto’s correct identity and the fact that he has been a fugitive from Utah authorities, evading arrest since 2015. He was charged as a fugitive and is expected to be extradited to Utah.

“This arrest is a testament to the strong collaboration between agencies and the dedication of our investigators in locating and apprehending individuals who pose a threat to public safety,” said Sheriff Travis Allen. “We would also like to extend a special thank you to the deputies from C-squad patrol team who responded quickly and assisted SIU in the apprehension of this fugitive.”