CENTERVILLE, Texas – Officials from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) said the convicted killer who escaped police custody in Leon County and possibly murdered one adult and four children from the Houston area has been shot and killed. The update came late Thursday night.
Gonzalo Lopez, 46, was reportedly shot to death during a foot chase with law enforcement agencies in Jourdanton near San Antonio, authorities tell KPRC 2.
This comes after investigators found the bodies of one adult and four children inside a home near Centerville where Lopez escaped on May 12.
At the time, TDCJ officials put out a call to look out for a getaway vehicle they described as a 1999 white Chevy Silverado, which was parked in front of the home.
Around 10:30 p.m., Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputies were able to spot the vehicle.
Lopez shot at deputies who then returned fire. He was reportedly armed with an AR-15 and a handgun, TDCJ officials said.
“I’m glad it’s over, but such a tragedy,” Mary Hay, a Centerville resident, said Friday.
TDCJ released the following statement:
“Law enforcement in Atascosa County located the stolen vehicle disabled it with spike strips, & gunfire ensued. At approximately 22:30, the TDCJ received information that Lopez had been shot by law enforcement in Jourdanton, Texas, South of San Antonio.”
Suspect Gonzalo Lopez is captured & deceased- more information to follow
Posted by Leon County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, June 2, 2022
Here’s what happened:
According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, someone who was worried about the well-being of their elderly relative called a law enforcement agency which led authorities to the home.
When authorities arrived at the home, they found one adult and four children who had been murdered.
The family was said to have been visiting the home, which they owned, for a short stay.
Lopez is a convicted murderer who was able to escape police custody on May 12.
Authorities say Lopez escaped on Highway 7 after he stabbed a TDCJ correctional officer who was transporting him and other prisoners to Huntsville for a medical appointment.
The 46-year-old was serving a life sentence for capital murder out of Hidalgo County and attempted capital murder out of Webb County.
TDCJ officials said that they will review their protocol and systems to determine how Lopez was able to originally escape.
PHOTOS OF LOPEZ’S TATTOOS BELOW:
SEE ALSO: US Marshals Office: New photos released of missing Texas inmate who stole prison bus