Grandfather, His 4 Grandsons Killed by Mexican Drug Cartel Member Who Escaped From Prison Bus in Texas

A Mexican drug cartel member, who escaped from a prison bus, killed a grandfather and his four grandsons after he came across them in the family's remote cabin in Texas.

According to Texas prison system officials, convicted murderer Gonzalo Lopez, 46, was shot dead late Thursday night after he massacred the family and stole their pick-up truck and an AR-15 style rifle.

Independent reported that police found the victims' bodies at the family's weekend cabin in the woods of Centerville in Leon County after receiving a call to check on an elderly relative after not hearing back from him.

Jason Clark, chief of staff for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said law enforcement in Atascosa County located the stolen vehicle, disabled it with spike strips, and gunfire ensued, killing the Mexican drug cartel member on the run.

Police said Lopez was killed by law enforcement after he shot at officers who returned fire.

Mexican Drug Cartel Member Killed Grandfather and His 4 Grandsons in Texas

According to Daily Mail, Gonzalo Lopez killed Mark Collins, 66, and his four grandsons: Waylon, 18; Carson, 16; and twins Bryson and Hudson, 11.

In a Facebook post about the murder, the grandfather's brother-in-law said Waylon graduated from high school last week. He described the loss of his family members as "unbearable."

A Facebook post from the Tomball Little League also said the oldest child was an umpire. Lopez escaped from a prison bus after stabbing the driver on May 12.

Mexican Drug Cartel Member Gonzalo Lopez Escaped From a Prison Bus in Texas

A local resident captured Gonzalo Lopez's dramatic escape on a cellphone. The Mexican drug cartel member was seen running into a wooded area in the video.

The clip was shot by fourth-grader Braxton Tieperman, who was in the car with his mother when the prison bus crashed in a cow pasture on Texas State Highway 7.

Clark earlier said there were 16 prisoners aboard the bus, but no one else escaped except Lopez. Police noted that the convicted murderer managed to free himself from the restraints and entered the driver's area.

Reports said Lopez then stabbed the driver in the hand with "some type of object," and the bus went off the roadway in Leon County during the struggle.

It was when the Mexican drug cartel member went out the door and started fleeing across the pasture. Two officers were reportedly on the bus, one driving and one in a rear area.

According to reports, Lopez managed to hide and remained on the run for three weeks. Lopez was sentenced to life in prison in 2006 after he was convicted of capital murder for killing Jose Guadalupe Ramirez near the southern border the previous year.

Lopez confessed to police that he kidnapped and killed the man on the order of a Mexican drug cartel, which the victim owed money to. He reportedly murdered the man with a pickax.

Aside from his capital murder charges, Lopez has multiple offenses in Hidalgo County, according to inmate records. He 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.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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