‘I could have gotten shot’: Jourdanton residents witness the end of a manhunt of a convicted killer
Gonzalo Lopez escaped from a jail bus three weeks in the past. Thursday night time, he was shot and killed by police in a Jourdanton neighborhood, south of San Antonio.
JOURDANTON, Texas — People in a single Jourdanton neighborhood say they’re grateful nobody else was injured after police shot and killed a convicted killer on the run of their entrance yards. It occurred round 10:30 P.M. Thursday based on police and witnesses.
“It was very loud,” stated Jamey Colley, who lives simply throughout the avenue from the place the shootout occurred. “I’m very thankful I was not where I was gonna be,” she stated. ” I would have been watering the plants and I could have gotten ran over, I could have gotten shot.”
Gonzalo Lopez was an inmate who had been on the run for 3 weeks after escaping from a jail transport bus in East Texas. Authorities consider he killed a man and 4 of his grandchildren, then stole their truck in Centerville, Texas, simply hours earlier than he was killed in Jourdanton.
Jack Garcia stated he has lived in Jourdanton for greater than 40 years and took photos of the scene. Garcia stated his city is small, quiet, and tight knit.
“This is not something that we like to see, but I’m glad there was enough officers here to stop it from escalating or him going shooting at a house, or a store,” Garcia stated.
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Colley stated she is grateful she was not in the line of hearth when the shootout began. One duplex lost energy after Lopez crashed into a pole. Friday morning, crews had been working to revive it.
In a press launch Friday, Jourdanton Police Chief Erik Kaiser stated Lopez may have been attempting to get to the border.
According to the launch, round 10:15 P.M. Thursday, an Atascosa County officer noticed a automobile matching the description and license plates of one which had been put out by authorities in the Centerville space.
Authorities say officers trailed behind him from a distance to keep away from tipping off Lopez that he was being pursued. In the meantime, Jourdanton Police had been in a position to deploy spikes, which disabled the automobile.
“Lopez entered Jourdanton, lost control of the truck, and hit two utility poles before exiting the truck where he once again began firing at pursuing officers,” Chief Kaiser stated in the launch.
Neighbors inform KENS 5 they heard a minimum of 20 photographs earlier than police shot and killed Lopez.
The Texas Rangers are main the investigation into Thursday night time’s capturing. Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Office of the Inspector General is investigation Lopez’s escape.
