Escaped killer may be in Carson City.

An escaped killer may be on the loose in Carson City.

Sheriff's deputies said several sightings of James Keith Prestridge, 38, have been recorded in the Carson City and Minden areas. They are warning residents to consider him armed and dangerous and to report information about his whereabouts to the department.

"He has a life sentence, so he has nothing to lose," said intelligence officer Tom Casey. "We are pretty sure he killed his running mate."

Prestridge lived in Carson City until the 11th grade. Casey said investigators suspect he might be associating with former high-school friends.

"He had criminal activities with some of his high-school associates," he said. "We are starting to put together lists of those associates."

The department's campaign to uncover Prestridge's location includes a blitz of posters and increased neighborhood patrols. "Three detectives are on the case," Casey said.

Casey warns that Prestridge's appearance might have been altered with a beard or a change in hair style. He is described as 6-foot-1, 190 pounds with salt and pepper hair. Reno police have been on the lookout for Prestridge since a man matching his description stole a white 1993 Chevy Silverado pickup truck. The truck has not been located.

Prestridge escaped in San Diego County on March 29 with robber John Doran, 26, while the pair were being transported from a Nevada prison to prisons in North Dakota and Colorado.

According to reports, Prestridge and Doran overpowered the guards.

Doran was found shot to death in Mexico a few days later. The drivers were sent to San Diego to pick up other prisoners.

The incident has sparked a Nevada investigation into Extraditions International, the private company responsible for the transports.

Prestridge was serving a life sentence for the 1989 murder of a pizza parlor manager in Washoe County. He was being taken to North Dakota under a prisoner exchange agreement.

Casey said sightings of Prestridge should be reported immediately to 911. People with other information may call the detectives division at 887-2020 ext. 1902.