Texas: Convicted Murderer Escapes Prison After Stabbing Guard, $15,000 Reward Offered

Convicted Texas murderer Gonzalo Lopez escaped from a transport bus Thursday after stabbing the driver, and a search is ongoing to recapture him.

NBC DFW reported that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is now offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to Lopez's capture.

The 46-year-old Texas murderer escaped in Leon County, a rural area between Dallas and Houston after he overpowered the bus driver.

According to Jason Clark, chief of staff for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the bus driver's injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Clark added that there were 16 prisoners aboard the bus, but no one else escaped except Lopez. The Leon County Sheriff's Office noted that several agencies joined in the search on Friday, including aircraft from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Leon County has roughly 16,000 residents and is about 50 miles north of the state's prison headquarters.

Manhunt Continues in Texas for Escaped Murderer

Texas Department of Criminal Justice Spokesman Robert Hurst said Gonzalo Lopez managed to free himself from the restraints and enter the driver's area.

According to NBC News, the murderer then stabbed the driver in the hand with some type of object. Hurst noted that the bus went off the roadway during the struggle.

It was when the inmate went out the door and started fleeing across the pasture. Hurst said the vehicle crashed on Texas State Highway 7 about a mile and a half from Centerville.

The spokesman added that Lopez was able to get the driver's handgun for a brief time during the struggle. However, the convicted inmate did not fire the weapon, which had already been recovered.

Two officers were on the bus, one driving and one in a rear area. Hurst said there were no other injuries except the officer who was stabbed in the hand.

Texas Murderer Gonzalo Lopez

Gonzalo Lopez was convicted of capital murder in 2006 for killing a man near the southern border the previous year, Washington Post reported.

He kidnapped the man and attempted to extract a ransom from his wife over a drug debt before killing him. Hurst noted that Lopez killed the man with a pickax.

Aside from his capital murder charges, he has multiple offenses in Hidalgo County, according to inmate records. Lopez was also convicted of attempted capital murder for firing gunshots at a sheriff in Webb County. He was not eligible for parole until April 2045.

It remains unclear how Lopez got out of the restraints and how he got an object used to stab the bus driver, Randy Smith. Hurst noted that Smith and Lopez got into a physical altercation while Smith was driving.

The officer onboard, Jimmy Brinegar, fired his service weapon and a shotgun at Lopez. However, Hurst said it is not yet clear if any of the shots affected Lopez.

Centerville Independent School District canceled classes on Friday, while the district announced guidance from the Leon County office to shelter in place.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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