A man who reportedly escaped from a Caldwell County prison has been captured. Today (July 26), Deputies, Investigators, and Canine Units with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office captured Matthew Neil Brown in Southwest Statesville.

Earlier today, Warrant Squad Deputies followed up on information they received about a possible sighting near the end of Brown Summit Avenue, near a homeless camp. When the deputies arrived at the location, the suspect ran.

The Statesville Police Department assisted the Iredell Sheriff’s Office on the perimeter which was quickly established. Drones and canine units were called to the scene. After a three-hour manhunt, Mathew Neil Brown was found and taken back into custody near Ravenwood Drive after being tracked by K-9 Units.

It was confirmed that this man escaped from the Caldwell Correctional Center, a minimum-security prison facility on Pleasant Hill Road in Lenoir, last week.

Following the escape, after spending eight hours conducting an extensive search in the area of Bristol Road off of Highway 70 West, Iredell County Deputies and Criminal Investigators, along with personnel from the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, called off the investigation.

Brown, who escaped on July 17, was serving a 19-month sentence for possession of stolen goods and drug possession. He was due to be released in February 2024.