Waco, TX – The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force-Waco
Division is assisting the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with the
fugitive investigation of a Texas prison inmate who escaped custody on
May 12 while being transported by bus for high-risk inmates in a rural
area near Centerville.
Gonzalo
Artemio Lopez, 46, is described as a white or Hispanic male,
approximately 6 feet tall and 185 pounds and heavily tattooed.
Lopez reportedly got out of his restraints and a
metal cage before stabbing an officer and stealing the transport bus.
Lopez was last seen running into the woods off Highway 7.
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office issued warrants
May 12 for Lopez’s arrest for escape and aggravated assault against a
public servant.
Lopez is affiliated with the Mexican Mafia and
has ties to the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio. He should be
considered armed and extremely dangerous. Do not attempt to apprehend
this fugitive.
“The Marshals Service has elevated Gonzalo Lopez
to major case status and is contributing up to $10,000 toward his
capture,” said U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas Susan
Pamerleau. “We sincerely hope this money will serve as an incentive for
someone who knows something to do the right thing and contact us. The
sooner we get him back into custody, the better.”
A combined reward of up to
$50,000 is being offered for
information leading to Lopez’s capture. Anyone with information on his
whereabouts is urged to contact TDCJ Office of Inspector General CRIME
STOPPERS at 1-800-832-8477 or
936-437-5171 or your local law
enforcement agency at 911. Tips may also be sent to the U.S. Marshals
Service Communications Center at
1-800-336-0102 or via the USMS
Tips app.
EDITOR’S NOTES:
In 1996, Lopez was convicted of two counts of
aggravated assault and received two eight-year sentences. In 2006,
he was convicted of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping and was
sentenced to life in prison. Additionally, Lopez received a second
life sentence after he was convicted for attempted capital murder in
2007.
The driver’s injuries were not
life-threatening, and the stolen transport bus was later disabled.
The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force mission is to
locate and apprehend violent offenders at the federal, state and local
level. Members of the LSFTF include the U.S. Marshals Service, Austin
Police Department, Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, Bexar County
Criminal District Attorney’s Office, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office,
Blanco County Sheriff’s Office, Brewster County Sheriff’s Department,
Brenham Police Department, Burleson County Sheriff’s Office, Burnet
County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell County District Attorney’s Office,
Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, Comal County Sheriff’s Office,
Crockett County Sheriff’s Department, Culberson County Sheriff’s
Department, Ector County Sheriff’s Office, El Paso County Sheriff’s
Department, El Paso Police Department, Hays County Sheriff’s Office,
Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Department, Mason County Sheriff’s Department,
McLennan County Sheriff’s Office, Midland County Sheriff’s Office,
Midland Police Department, Odessa Police Department, Presidio County
Sheriff’s Department, Reeves County Sheriff’s Department, San Antonio
Independent School District Police, San Antonio Police Department, San
Marcos Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas
Office of Inspector General, Texas Rangers, Travis County Sheriff’s
Office, U.S. Border Patrol, Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office, Uvalde Texas
Police Department, Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office, Waco Police
Department, Williamson County Constable – Precinct 1, 2 & 3, Williamson
County District Attorney’s Office, and the Williamson County Sheriff’s
Office.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found
at http://www.usmarshals.gov.
####America’s
First Federal Law Enforcement Agency