WAITING FOR YOU IN PARADISE
Intercepted photo suggests escaped death-row inmate Isabela “Bela” Del Toro may already be out of the country.
By Daniel Harper — Staff Writer
Late Edition — August 17, 2026
ROCKVILLE — The manhunt for escaped death-row inmate Isabela “Bela” Del Toro intensified Monday night after investigators intercepted a photo believed to have been sent to the father of her child.
The image was accompanied by a chilling message:
“Waiting for you in paradise.”
Officials now say it is increasingly likely Del Toro has already left the United States.
Del Toro, a Rockville death-row inmate serving two death sentences, escaped earlier Monday while being transported to a federal courthouse. Authorities had believed she might testify against the father of her child, a high-ranking cartel figure, in hopes of improving her legal position.
Investigators now suspect that offer of cooperation may have been a ruse.
The van carrying Del Toro was ambushed before reaching the courthouse, and two corrections officers were killed in the attack. A tracking device found beneath the transport vehicle suggested the escape had been carefully planned.
The newly intercepted photograph appears to show Del Toro alive and beyond the immediate reach of authorities. In the image, she is seen relaxing on a sunny beach. Across the photograph is the message, “Waiting for you in paradise.”
Investigators say the image was intercepted Monday night and was apparently intended for the father of Del Toro’s child.
While officials have not disclosed the exact location shown in the photograph, they say the message and surrounding evidence strongly suggest she may have fled to a foreign safe haven.
Federal and state agencies have expanded the search internationally.
Del Toro remains wanted in connection with the escape and the killings of the two officers.
She is considered armed, dangerous and resourceful.
KEY POINTS
- Death-row inmate escaped during courthouse transfer
- Two corrections officers killed in ambush
- Photo intercepted Monday night
- Officials suspect Del Toro is already outside the country
THE MESSAGE
“Waiting for you in paradise.”