A manhunt is underway in Leon County for a state prison inmate who escaped Thursday afternoon.
Robert Hurst at the Texas department of criminal justice tells Navasota News that 46 year old Gonzalo Lopez was able to take control of a transport bus by stabbing a guard, which crashed on Highway 7 west of Centerville. He was the only one who left the scene. There are no life threatening injuries among the unknown number of inmates and prison guards who were on the bus.
Lopez is curently service a life sentence for Capital Murder in Hidalgo County, and Attempted Capital Murder in Webb County.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced on Friday they are suspending visits at 43 Prisons across the state until further notice. Included on that list are the Pack Unit and Luther Unit in Grimes County. A full list of units with suspended visitation are listed below.
TDCJ has also announced a $15,000 reward for any information leading to the capture of Lopez.
The Leon County sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page Friday morning that the search focused west of Centerville, north of Highway 7 and between county roads 317 and 320.
Centerville ISD and Leon ISD canceled classes on Friday, as the manhunt continues.
Anyone with information is asked to contact TDCJ OIG CRIME STOPPERS at 1-800-832-8477 or 936-437-5171 or your local law enforcement agency at 911.
From the TDCJ Facebook page, the TDCJ list of units where visitation has been suspended until further notice:
Region I: Byrd, Duncan, Ellis, Estelle, Ferguson, Goodman, Goree, Holliday, Huntsville, Lewis, Polunsky, Wainwright, and Wynne.
Region II: Beto, Boyd, Coffield, Cole, Hodge, Hutchins, Johnston, Michael, C. Moore, Powledge, Skyview, and Telford.
Region VI: Crain, Halbert, Hamilton, Havins, Hilltop, Hobby, Hughes, Luther, Marlin, Middleton, Mountain View, Murray, Pack, Robertson, San Saba, Sayle, Travis, and Woodman.
