Have You Seen Him? Escaped Texas Inmate Still at Large, $50K Reward Offered
***UPDATE: Escaped killer Gonzalo Lopez is dead after a shootout with police in South Texas on Thursday, June 2nd.***
This sounds like it came from an action movie, but the situation is all too real for citizens in Central Texas. The search is on for a dangerous inmate from Gatesville, who escaped a prison bus in Leon County this week.
KWTX is reporting that a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice says the incident happened Thursday afternoon west of Centerville. The inmate was on the bus to travel from Gatesville to Huntsville for a medical appointment. There were 16 prisoners aboard the bus, but the only one who escaped was 46-year-old Gonzalo Lopez.
How did Gonzalo Lopez Escape?
After getting free of his restraints, Lopez overpowered the driver, stabbed him in the hand with a makeshift weapon, crashed the bus, and escaped custody, according to KHOU.
Crimes of Gonzalo Lopez
Lopez was convicted in 2006 of killing a man along the Texas-Mexico border. TDCJ says Lopez is serving a life sentence for capital murder out of Hidalgo County and attempted capital murder out of Webb County. Prison records show Lopez was most recently being held in Gatesville, over 100 miles from where authorities were searching.
Search for Gonzalo Lopez
Lopez also has cartel ties, and is considered armed and dangerous. Authorities say if you see him, lock your home or vehicle and immediately contact 911. Lopez was last spotted going west on Highway 7 about 1.5 miles from Interstate 45, according to the TDCJ press release.
Law enforcement is now offering a $50,000 reward for any information that leads to his arrest.