Escaped Texas inmate still on the loose

dancinstallion

Well-Known Member

One week later: Officials continue to search for escaped Texas inmate​

Gonzalo Lopez is serving two life sentences for murder and attempted murder. Officials say he was being taken to a medical appointment from Gatesville to Huntsville when he escaped.


LEON COUNTY, Texas - It's been a week since an inmate escaped from a prison bus in East Texas. The manhunt near Centerville continues for 46-year-old Gonzalo Lopez.

Officials want the public to report if they see anything suspicious or know anything that would lead them to Lopez. They're offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice says this is their largest manhunt in years. They've been using horses, K9s and helicopters.

"We've got over 300 officers out here on the ground looking for him," Robert Hurst, public information officer for TDCJ, said earlier this week.

Lopez is serving two life sentences for murder and attempted murder. Officials say he was being taken to a medical appointment from Gatesville to Huntsville.

Because of his criminal history, Lopez was in a caged area of the bus. He broke through his restraints, cut the metal, and crawled through the bottom of the cage.

"There's a door. There's a door that separates the seated area for the inmates from the compartment where the officer is seated. It's a door with some wire mesh around, on this side. Somehow, we don't know yet how that happened, he got up underneath, used some type of device, to cut out the bottom of that door," Hurst said.


Gonzalo Lopez (Leon County Sheriff's Office)
Officials say he attacked the driver. They got in a fight and got out of the bus. A second officer got out to help, but Lopez got back on the bus and drove off.

Lopez, who officials say has ties to the Mexican Mafia, managed to get free from of his handcuffs and cut through a caged metal door to the armed driver, stabbing him in the chest and a hand. He briefly gained control of the vehicle until another guard used a shotgun to shoot out the back tires.

Officers shot at the tires and the bus veered off the road. Lopez ran into the woods off Highway 7 in Leon County.



"We've got officers that are set up on the Highway 7, keeping eye on the roadway just in case he tries to cross over the roadway at some point. He's done this in the past, where he has escaped and hid low to try and avoid law enforcement, so we're a little familiar with his method of operation. It appears that's what he's doing again this time. He's hoping we're going to give up, and we're not going to give up. We're going to stay after him until we get him," Hurst said.
 
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GeMnEye

Member
He sounds smarter than that other inmate who escapes with the guard. I bet this guy is already in Mexico. :look:
He was on his way to Mexico they believe. He actually was still in the centerville area. Ended up killing five people at their weekend home. A grandpa and four children/minors. And then stealing their truck and they believe he was headed to Mexico and he was killed right outside San Antonio. The family was worried after not hearing from their family and sent a welfare check who discovered the deceased people. They realized the truck was missing and after that it was over for him. They found the truck and he ended up getting killed. Thank goodness his days are over. He literally killed four children. He was already in prison for murder so had nothing to lose.

They have now suspended prison transports while they review their process to see what they need to change. That is so crazy he killed other people while on the run. The police claim they had cleared the house several times before the murder so it’s weird how he was able to kill these innocent people.
 

GeMnEye

Member
So new information has developed if anyone is still interested in this story lol.

So apparently the murderer had a makeshift/homemade key on him. The inmates helped cause a distraction and he told the other 16 inmates what he planned to do(maybe some followed along so as not to get consequences when they get back idk, prison politics is too much and too immature for me) he used his key to get out of his restraints and unlock some other door on the vehicle. But it also said he had a knife and cut his way in as well so that’s a little unclear to me.

Then LE knew he had broke into a neighboring home 24-48 hours before killing the family. The family now is being identified as a grandpa, on young adult of 18 years and then three younger children 16 and under. At first I thought I read they were shot but now I guess that wouldn’t make much sense cause maybe neighbors would have heads multiple gunshots. So they were apparently stabbed and some other injuries that they are waiting on autopsy for. How the heck did he stab 5 people? I’ve read he was a hit man for the cartel I’ve read he was in a gang in prison that is not necessarily connected to the cartel. So that’s that. An owners of a business now says the man stopped in shortly after the family was killed and he claims had a conversation with An employee before hopping into a similar white truck and leaving. That’s crazy if that happened. Idk if his face was on the news but that don’t sound right. He claims to have footage though.

After stabbing them he stole the AR15 and pistol and had a shootout with police AFTER having the truck spiked.

I feel awful and a little scared. I am not far from where they killed him and I had no idea a convict was on the loose for weeks until I seen an article in the local news and then I started following but that was after he was killed. I was relieved to hear that cause how scary!!! To be stabbed to death? What the heck! He clearly wasn’t going out without a fight and he didn’t care who he took with him. I had to lock my doors and I feel scared. Too much happening in TX right now. It’s scary.

Another transport prison vehicle was in an accident. Rear ended some other vehicle after this all happened. Apparently there was only one inmate this time. But why though?

I read a comment they should put monitors on them, and I agree, they need to do something like that so if they continue to let them out to go do whatever they can possibly be tracked.


ETA-they are now saying most were shot and stabbed with one of the younger ones just getting stabbed.
 
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