TX - Escaped convicted murderer, stabbed guard, 12 May 22; murdered family of 5, Centerville, shot dead near SA, 2 JUNE 2022

jellybean96

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A Texas prison inmate remains on the loose after he stabbed a guard, took control of a prison bus, and crashed it before escaping in Leon County on Thursday.
Gonzalo Lopez, 46, was on board the bus along with 15 other inmates headed for Huntsville when he slipped out of his shackles, made his way to the front of the bus, and stabbed the driver in the hand, authorities said.

Lopez was last seen running across a pasture, prompting an intense search and forcing two nearby school districts to cancel classes for the day. Officers fired shots toward Lopez, but it wasn't clear if he was hit.
The bus was headed to Huntsville from a TDCJ facility in Gatesville and was about 110 miles into the 160-mile trip when the incident happened.

 

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That's a pretty good-sized bus! I can't imagine that he will evade capture on foot, and even if he did, he does not have food or money. He would need help to remain on the run for any length of time, IMHO. Hopefully, he will be back in custody soon.

 
PLease anyone shed some light on how difficult it is or in what potential scenarios occurred to be able to get out of shackles. If it was easy, it would happen frequently, which it does not.
Any way to pick the lock? I assume there's a lock similar to handcuffs.
Another idea involves him somehow making his arms /legs smaller than the openings, which would mean they were put on a bit on the loose side.

Only comparison I have for that is if I have a tight bracelet on and I have to squeeze my hand tighter to wiggle it off. Other than that? Not really a clue.
 
This happened yesterday halfway between Dallas and Houston in Centerville about a mile and a half from I45 and Hwy 7. There is a huge amount of woodlands in the vicinity, and I can’t imagine how you find a needle in that haystack. But I am not LE, and he is not equipped to manage the heat and challenge of hiding in the woods forever. There are no doubt numerous farms and ranches in that rural area, on quite a bit of acreage. My fear is that he could force his way into these dwellings, steal weapons and provisions, and stay out there indefinitely. Folks living out there within 5-10 miles of the initial escape are in danger I think. If there are any elderly residents or those who don’t have frequent contact with family or friends out there, I worry for their safety. I hope they will do welfare checks on all residents of Leon County, if that is feasible. This is a killer who was serving a life sentence. He has nothing to lose.

 
A lone officer is transporting another prisoner with nothing to lose. This is ridiculous. I know of prison guards from a county 8+ hours north of the border who have been ordered to take three-week shifts working to accommodate the crowds of people illegally crossing the border. It stands to reason that this might leave prisons short-staffed. MOO

Many components had to come together to allow a successful escape. This guy seems to have finagled his way into getting approved for a medical visit outside the prison, struck gold when only one guard went with him, possibly had a tool or key for the shackles, and removed those noisy, cumbersome shackles without raising the suspicion of the guard, then made his way inside a locked driving cage. That sounds like a planned escape to me. I'll bet he had an accomplice who picked him up. MOO

Has it been reported if the guard called for help while the prisoner was breaking into the cage?
 
Snipped & BBM:
Lopez told investigators in 2004 that he and another man he identified as Luis Carlos Mares, were on their way to kill someone in Laredo when a Webb County deputy sheriff attempted to pull them over.

In a written statement, Lopez said Mares opened fire on the deputy while he held the steering wheel during the chase. Eventually, their car ran out of gas and Lopez was able to escape into the brush and run for several hours.

He was able to hide from law enforcement while on foot until the next day when he called a cartel associate to pick him up.
 

This article is from last night, and the quotes below lead me to believe he was headed north on the west side of I45.

“ This caused the bus to cross into the westbound lanes of Highway 7 and run into the ditch.
…….(snipped for brevity)
Highway 7 between Marquez and Centerville was closed to all traffic and remains closed. Motorists are also discouraged from using Highway 79 between Highway 7 and Buffalo.”

Marquez is west of Centerville. Buffalo is north.
 
A lone officer is transporting another prisoner with nothing to lose. This is ridiculous. I know of prison guards from a county 8+ hours north of the border who have been ordered to take three-week shifts working to accommodate the crowds of people illegally crossing the border. It stands to reason that this might leave prisons short-staffed. MOO

Many components had to come together to allow a successful escape. This guy seems to have finagled his way into getting approved for a medical visit outside the prison, struck gold when only one guard went with him, possibly had a tool or key for the shackles, and removed those noisy, cumbersome shackles without raising the suspicion of the guard, then made his way inside a locked driving cage. That sounds like a planned escape to me. I'll bet he had an accomplice who picked him up. MOO

Has it been reported if the guard called for help while the prisoner was breaking into the cage?

There were 2 guards according to this article which explains a bit further.

“ Lopez was able to commandeer the bus but only made it a mile before crashing. The officers shot the rear tires of the bus and Lopez lost control, Hurst said.”
 
There were 2 guards according to this article which explains a bit further.

“ Lopez was able to commandeer the bus but only made it a mile before crashing. The officers shot the rear tires of the bus and Lopez lost control, Hurst said.”

Thank you, CooChanel, I stand corrected - two guards! Even more puzzling.

From the cnn article you quoted :

"Somehow, we don't know yet how that happened. He got up underneath. He used some type of a device to cut out the bottom of that door. He got down underneath the door, he crawled underneath the door ... and when he got through that opening that he cut open, that's when he started struggling with the officer," Hurst said.
 
There were 2 guards according to this article which explains a bit further.

“ Lopez was able to commandeer the bus but only made it a mile before crashing. The officers shot the rear tires of the bus and Lopez lost control, Hurst said.”
The CNN article is the only one that mentions what he was wearing - white shirt and pants. HIs clothing is significant and would help people to recognize him, particularly from a distance.

This desperado has quite the skill set - a Houdini-esqe ability to escape his shackles, the ability to break into a security cage, apparently by cutting through the bottom of it, the skill to drive a large bus, and he appears to be an Olympic-caliber runner. But he is a very dangerous criminal. I truly hope that no additional innocent people will lose their lives at his hands. MOO
 
The CNN article is the only one that mentions what he was wearing - white shirt and pants. HIs clothing is significant and would help people to recognize him, particularly from a distance.

This desperado has quite the skill set - a Houdini-esqe ability to escape his shackles, the ability to break into a security cage, apparently by cutting through the bottom of it, the skill to drive a large bus, and he appears to be an Olympic-caliber runner. But he is a very dangerous criminal. I truly hope that no additional innocent people will lose their lives at his hands. MOOi
With one guard driving the vehicle, it would have been the second guard's responsibility to watch the prisoner at all times. Has anyone seen information indicating what that guard was doing while Houdini was performing his escape? If either guard had a gun, this danger to society should have been shot before he could finish removing the restraints or while he was breaking into the cage. MOO
 

“Due to the ongoing efforts in the apprehension of escaped inmate Gonzalo Lopez, visitation for the following units will be cancelled for May 14, 2022," agency representatives posted on social media. "Until further notice, please contact unit prior to travelling for visitation."

I understand why this is necessary, but unfortunately it does punish the overwhelming majority for the sins of one. And it probably diminishes morale, and ramps up the rage.
 

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