Police Fatally Shoot Texas Fugitive

Last month, a convicted murderer escaped from prison after stabbing the driver of the prison bus.

A Texas correctional spokesperson explained that the inmate, Gonzalo Lopez, age 46, was fatally shot on Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. after murdering a family of five and stealing their vehicle from a rural cabin.

He was shot in Jourdanton, Texas, approximately 35 miles south of San Antonio, according to the spokesperson, Jason Clark with the Department of Criminal Justice in Texas.

Lopez was armed with a pistol and an AR-15. Also, it is unknown how he got the weapons or which gun was used in the gunfight.

The fugitive was serving life in prison after being convicted of murdering a man at the border of Mexico in Texas in 2006.

Clark announced that police in Atascosa County were able to find the stolen truck and immobilize it with spike strips. The fugitive got out of the vehicle and shot at the police. Police returned fire and killed him. No police officers were harmed.

Location of the Fugitive

Lopez was fatally shot in the gunfire approximately 220 miles from Centerville, Texas, where he murdered the five-person family from Houston. It is not known what department the officers that killed the fugitive were from.

The fugitive was believed to be hiding in the area of the cabin once law enforcement got a call from a concerned family member. They were concerned after having no contact with an older relative.

Law enforcement went to the cabin located on Route 7 west of Centerville at approximately 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. They discovered the bodies of the family. Among the bodies were four minor children and one adult. At this time, no identities have been released. It was thought that the fugitive had driven the truck from the area that was searched. He was formerly affiliated with the Mexican Mafia gang in prison and had connections in South Texas.

It was believed that the family owned the cabin and they had just gotten there on Thursday morning. There is no thought that the family had any link to Lopez.

Escape and Search Details

The fugitive had been intensively searched for since he escaped the prison bus on May 12. At that time, he was being held in a caged part of the vehicle going from a Gatesville prison over 100 miles away from the place he escaped from. He was to be brought to a Huntsville location for a medical appointment. However, he made his escape in Leon County between Houston and Dallas.

There are approximately 16,000 residents in Centerville located in Leon County. It is nearly 50 miles north of the prison headquarters in Huntsville.

The department of corrections said that the fugitive somehow managed to free himself from his leg and hand restraints before cutting through the large metal cage and crawling from the bottom. Then, he assaulted the driver who parked the vehicle and had an argument with the fugitive. Eventually, both individuals stepped off the bus.

The Attempt to Prevent Escape

Another officer at the back of the bus got off and approached the fugitive. Lopez then got onto the bus and attempted to drive away. Officers also shot at the inmate and immobilized the bus by shooting a rear tire. The bus continued to move a short distance prior to getting off the road. At that time, the fugitive took off into the woods.

The driver of the bus was stabbed sometime during the escape. His injuries were not life-threatening.

Written by Marrissa Kay

Sources:

ABC News: Police fatally shoot Texas fugitive after family of 5 killed; by Terry Wallace
Los Angeles Times: Texas fugitive suspected of killing family of five is fatally shot by police, officials say; Terry Wallace
NBC News: Officers fatally shoot escaped Texas inmate suspected of killing family of 5 while on the run; by Claire Cardona, Lindsey Pipia, and Phil Helsel

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