During the week, law enforcement officers searched area but to no avail. Then, on Authorities found the bodies on Thursday of an adult and four minors in a house on Highway 7 in Leon County, according to the Texas Department. of Criminal Justice. A white 1999 Chevy Silverado went missing from the home, and officials said they believed Lopez killed residents and fled the home. area in in truck.
A few hours after the discovery, law enforcement officers noticed Lopez. in in truck about 260 miles in Atascos County, south of San Antonio. After chase of in the vehicle Lopez crashed, got out truck and shot at the officers, TDCJ authorities said. He was killed when they returned by fire, according to officials.
Lopez was armed with according to the TDCJ, an AR-15 rifle and a pistol.
Head of TDCJ of Staff member Jason Clark told reporters Thursday night that “we sigh.” of relief that Lopez can’t hurt anyone more.”
Authorities do not release names or ages. of victims or said how they were killed. Clark said they were from Houston. area and had just arrived on Thursday at the residence, which he described as a weekend home.
The officers combed area for Lopez since he escaped, Clark said, and “cleared” home “several times before the discovery of the bodies of the victims on Thursday around 18:00, leading authorities believe Lopez entered the residence “recently”. There is no indication that Lopez and the victims knew each other, Clarke said.
While he was on in run According to Clark, Lopez was able to “stay in the woods, get into the house to get water and food and maybe change clothes.”
He added in a separate briefing, it was not clear if Lopez was already in home where he allegedly killed five victims or “lined the building and just waiting for someone will come in”.
According to Clarke, it is likely that the weapons used by Lopez during the shootout were from the home.
In 2006, Lopez was convicted. of capital murder after kidnapping over a drug debt as well as killing his with Kirk, according to The Washington Post. He had also was convicted of attack on capital murder for firing shots at a sheriff’s deputy in Webb County in 2004. Lopez was serving a life sentence and was not eligible for Parole until April 2045.
May 12 during on a transport bus that traveled 160 miles between Gatesville and Huntsville, Lopez somehow broke free of his bonds, cut himself way into metal cage-like area where driver was discovered and stabbed driver, according to TDCJ. after driving off in bus for short distancelopez crashed in in cow pasture and ran away. The bus driver’s injuries were not life-threatening.
An extensive manhunt involving about 300 law enforcement officers followed, and reward it was suggested for information leading to Lopez capture. The search, which the TDCJ called “exhaustive,” turned out to be up nothing until Thursday when the bodies were found. A few hours later, law enforcement spotted Lopez driving a white Silverado. in Jordanton, Texas.
Thursday night the officers in Jourdanton began to pursue Lopez in pickup truck and spiked its tires, Clark said. After a short chase in residential area said Clark, Lopez hit a tree, got out of in truck and eventually fired “several rounds»officers.
“And these officers shot Lopez very quickly, resulting in all this ordeal to the end,” Clarke said, adding that no one of officers were wounded. Clarke said the TDCJ was notified that Lopez was killed around 10:30 p.m.
When asked by a reporter if TDCJ had failed five dead casualties, Clarke said the agency would conduct a “serious incident review define how exactly this escape took place”.
“Every time you have something serious like it is assigned to us back to digital out, how he did escape? How he bypassed our security protocols in an order to leave this transport vehicle? Clark added. “And that’s something we’re definitely going to do.”
Timothy Bella contributed to this report.
