Manhunt For Texas Inmate Serving Life Sentence Who Escaped From Custody Crosses 2 Weeks

The manhunt for escaped Texas convict Gonzalo Lopez has reached 3 weeks of intensified search. The 46-year-old convicted murderer who allegedly stabbed a prison transport bus driver is still at large after overpowering the bus driver and the prison guards during the scheduled transport last May 12.

According to CBS News, authorities have recently released photos of Lopez taken from surveillance cameras shortly after he boarded the bus. Another batch of photos was released last week by the US Marshals Services that showed identifying tattoos on Lopez including one that reads “Aztlan” across his lower back as well as the word “Gonzo” inked on his abdomen.

The reward for any information leading to his capture currently sits at $50,000. The heavily tattooed convict is serving a life sentence and has been described by authorities as being quite “crafty”. Robert Hurst, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman said, "He's done this before down in South Texas in Webb County, he hid out for almost nine days."

On the day of his escape, he was part of a group of high-risk inmates being transported for a medical appointment. The prisoners were seated in a caged area of the bus with designated guards placed in front and at the rear end of the bus. Lopez somehow managed to free himself from both his hand and leg restraints and had cut through the expanded metal cage using an undetermined tool he used so he could crawl out from the bottom.

The driver sustained stab wounds in the hand and chest but was said to be non-life-threatening injuries. The designated security officers disabled the bus by shooting at the rear tire and as the bus reeled off for a short distance and crashed, Lopez made a run for the woods. The officers fired at Lopez but are not sure if he took a hit.

A woman named Melanie Tieperman was with her son when they came upon the crash and said they saw Lopez escaping. She managed to record a video of what appears like Lopez running off into the bush. The department confirmed that out of 16 prisoners on board the bus, no one else attempted to flee. Several law enforcement agencies are now involved in the manhunt which has also enlisted the assistance of horseback and canine teams as well as aircraft search and security calling it the largest concentrated manhunt in decades.