BY MILES LAYTON
SWAN QUARTER — This caught my eye this morning – a prisoner from the Hyde County Correctional Center in Swan Quarter escaped Thursday.
Francisco Cardenas, 32, 6 feet 1 inch, about 130 pounds, with brown eyes and a tattoo of a star on his left hand – he escaped while in minimum custody, according to a press release issued by the Correctional Center. He was convicted in Lee County, was serving a 5- to 8-year sentence for drug trafficking and was scheduled for release in January 2029.
I mention Cardenas’ escape because my first thought about this guy escaping – he probably won’t get very far in Hyde County or Eastern NC. It’s snake season, and Hyde is known to have an alligator or three, big snapping turtles, too. On top of that, the area is very swampy in many places, so that’ll be challenging too. Mosquitoes are out, but it hasn’t gotten too bad yet, but still… Could be worse – swarming Rocky Hock gnats.
Hyde County is known for having a high density of large black bears — some of the largest in the world. These bears often weigh over 500 pounds. The current world record for a black bear was a 880-pound giant from the area.
And then there’s this – unless you know the marshes, coves and swamps, a person could get lost circling around and around in that hostile environment.
Even if Cardenas sticks to the roads, Hyde County’s people are sure to notice a stranger in those parts. And I’ll wager dollars to doughnuts that Hyde folk are armed, many of them are good hunters with solid aim.
To be candid, Cardenas, if you are reading this, you would probably be safer in prison than navigating unfamiliar territory in a hostile environment in Eastern NC.
Anyway, if you see Cardenas, please call local law enforcement or Hyde Correctional Center at 252-926-1810.
One response to “Francisco Cardenas Escape: Challenges of Hyde County Terrain”
[…] news — As of Saturday morning, Francisco Cardenas is still on the run after escaping Thursday from the Hyde County Correctional […]