By NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Sep 4, 2008
Updated: Sep 10, 2008

Erasmo Tamayo

Serving Time for:

Second-degree murder
Trafficking cocaine

Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sex: Male
DOB: 8/18/1959
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 180 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Other: Scar on right arm

Date of Escape: October 13, 1993

County of Escape: Davidson

Erasmo Tamayo was arrested on July 15, 1987 and charged with second-degree murder and trafficking cocaine greater than 400 grams. Tamayo had been importing cocaine from Florida to North Carolina. He was providing the victim, Carlos Alberto Fuentes, with the drugs.

While attempting to collect the large sum of cash Fuentes owed Tamayo, Tamayo began threatening Fuentes’ life. During this time, two of Tamayo’s accomplices – Devol Penny Turner and Edgardo Gerena – and Tamayo himself, lured the victim to the crime scene. Tamayo shot Fuentes twice with a shotgun and twice with a .38 caliber gun. They hid the victim’s body under his own car. A passing motorist found Fuentes’ body early the next morning.

Investigators discovered that in the summer of 1987, Fuentes had started providing authorities with information about the drug transactions and at some point Tamayo had found out about these meetings.

He escaped from the Davidson Correctional Center in Lexington while outside on a work assignment in October 1993.

If you have information on the whereabouts of Erasmo Tamayo, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.