A convicted murderer remains at-large after allegedly stabbing a corrections officer and escaping a prison bus Thursday in Texas.
Gonzalo Lopez was convicted of capital murder, aggravated kidnapping and other offenses dating back to 1995 and was serving a life sentence at the time of his escape, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The 46-year-old allegedly escaped his restraints and got into a “physical altercation” with Officer Randy Smith, who was driving the prison transportation bus near Centerville, CNN reported.
JUST IN: Leon County Sheriff’s Office says escaped convicted murdered Gonzalo Lopez is still on the run. Sheriff is telling people to “lock your doors and vehicles.” He was serving life for murder before attacking a guard and busting out of a prison bus Thursday. @25NewsKXXV pic.twitter.com/9ToGHBsBjV
— Joey Horta (@JoeyHorta) May 13, 2022
“He stabbed Officer Smith in the left hand with some type of object. We don’t what it is. That is still under investigation. Smith struggled with him, trying to keep him from getting his service revolver, his weapon, that he had in a holster on his side and was able to keep Lopez from getting it,” Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Robert Hurst said, according to KBTX.
No other inmates fled the bus with Lopez, and neither the officers nor remaining inmates suffered any life-threatening injuries, CNN reported. (RELATED: Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking After Living In Daughter’s College Dorm Room)
Inmates Pregnant After ‘Consensual’ Relationship With Trans Convicthttps://t.co/YIGtxrryzV
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 14, 2022
Officer Jimmy Brinegar, another officer on the bus, shot at Lopez with both his service weapon and a shotgun, the outlet continued.
“We do not know if the inmate was hit by any of these shots. Last we saw him he was fleeing across the cow pasture west of Centerville,” Hurst reportedly noted.
The Centerville school district went into a temporary lockdown after Lopez fled and will remain closed Friday due to the “ongoing situation,” according to a statement posted to Facebook. (RELATED: Marvel Star, Husband Convicted Of Sex With 13-Year-Old Girl)
Hurst told the public that they should not attempt to intervene with Lopez, CNN reported. “I would highly encourage anybody in the public to lock their vehicles, lock their doors. We do not know if he has obtained any kind of a weapon,” Hurst said.