20 Days with No Leads: Escaped Inmate Gonzalo Lopez still Missing

            After twenty days of searching, Gonzalo Lopez, the Texas inmate who escaped during a transportation trip earlier in May, is still on the loose in the area with no sightings or signs of him pointing to his location. As the search continues, the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force- Waco Division has joined in the search to find him.

            On May 12, Lopez and several other inmates were being transported from the Hughes Unit in Gatesville to the Estelle Unit in Huntsville along Highway 7 near Centerville for a medical appointment. According to ABC 13, because of his past offenses, he was being held on the bus in a caged area designated for high-risk inmates, and he was able to cut free from his restraints and the cage to attack the bus driver and cause the bus to crash, allowing him to escape.

            Lopez has connections with the Mexican Mafia and communities in the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio areas. He was sentenced in 2006 to life in prison after committing capital murder and aggravated assault, and it is because of this violent history that police and forces involved recommended not engaging with him if spotted.

            The contact information for any and all sightings or tips on his location is provided on the U.S. Marshall’s website, and a reward of $50,000 for any information leading to his capture is still being offered.