Waco, TX – The U.S. Marshals are assisting in the manhunt for
Texas escapee Gonzalo Lopez, 46, and offering a reward of up to
$10,000 for information leading
directly to his arrest, in addition to the
$5,000 reward being offered by the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice.
On
Thursday, Lopez was on a bus with 15 other inmates and two guards en
route to Huntsville from Gatesville, Texas. Lopez managed to free
himself from his restraints and use an object to stab the bus driver,
Officer Randy Smith. During the struggle, which ended up outside of the
bus, Lopez briefly gained control of the Smith’s handgun. However, he
was unable to remove it from the holster. The second guard, Officer
Jimmie Brinegar, was able to shoot out the back tires of the bus. Lopez
jumped back into the bus and attempted to drive off. He only made it
about a mile before losing control and crashing. He then took off into a
nearby field.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the
nearest USMS District Office,
the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at
1-800-336-0102, or submit a tip using
USMS Tips.
Lopez is serving a life sentence for capital
murder out of Hidalgo County and attempted capital murder out of Webb
County. He is considered armed and dangerous.
The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal
government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations. The Marshals
have the broadest arrest authority among federal law enforcement
agencies, and provide assistance to state and local agencies in locating
and apprehending their most violent fugitives.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found
at http://www.usmarshals.gov.
####America’s
First Federal Law Enforcement Agency