A convicted murderer is on the run in Leon County, Texas, after fleeing a prison transportation bus after he assaulted a corrections officer, officials said Thursday.
Gonzalo Lopez, 46, was serving a life sentence following convictions on capital murder and attempted capital murder, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The escape happened on Highway 7 near Centerville, which is about 120 miles north of Houston, at around 1:20 p.m., according to department officials. As the transport bus was headed from Gatesville to Huntsville, Lopez was able to get out of his restraints and reach the driver, Officer Randy Smith, said TDCJ spokesperson Robert Hurst.
“They got into a physical altercation while Officer Smith was driving the bus. He stabbed Officer Smith in the left hand with some sort of object”, Hurst said during a media briefing carried by CNN affiliate KBTX.
