Gonzalo Lopez, a Mexican mafia hitman, escaped from prison and was shot dead by police after killing five members of his family.
The grandfather of a fugitive convicted this week in Texas and the loved ones of his four grandchildren are angry over their untimely death.
On Friday night, community members went out to wake up in the Houston suburb of Tumble to mourn the deaths of 66-year-old grandfather Mark Collins, 18-year-old brothers Velon, Carson, 16, and Hudson, 11, and their cousin Bryson, 11.
Five members of the family were killed on Thursday after a weekend visit to a family farm in Centerville, about 100 miles north of Houston, where Mexican mafia hitman Gonzalo Lopez escaped from a three-zone prison transport van and hid. Weeks ago
Lopez murdered the family, stole their truck as well as a pistol and an AR-15 rifle, and was killed in a shootout with police late Thursday when an all-point bulletin was issued on the stolen vehicle.
The Collins family said in a statement: “These precious people who were loved and loved by many will never be forgotten.
Waylon Collins, 18, played baseball at Tomball High School, where he had just graduated, and also served as an umpire in Little League games.
Velan, 18, Carson, 16, and Hudson, 11, (left), and his uncle Bryson, 11, (right) were also killed Thursday along with their grandparents on a Texas family farm.
Grandpa Mark Collins, 66, was taking the four boys to the family’s farm over the weekend for fishing, boating and target shooting.
Community members gathered Friday in the Houston suburb of Tumble for a surveillance, where the slain children lived.
Pastor Steve Benzer of the Collins family described the family as “the greatest character, the deepest faith, and the tireless kindness and love.”
“They have treated me, my family and this church with deep generosity as long as they live here. They have been a pillar of this church and this community for over 40 years,” he added.
He said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragedy that befell his family.
The killings took place in the small town of Centerville, where the family lived in the northwestern suburb of Houston, about 100 miles north of Tumblr.
“It’s something you would never have imagined happening in such a small community,” said Tuffy Loftin, a 61-year-old pastor from Centerville, who knew the family.
Centerville residents have been worried since May 12 when Lopez drove the officer who was driving her and 15 other inmates near her community between Dallas and Houston.
Lopez had been the subject of intense search since his escape. He was shot dead by officers in Jordantown, Texas on June 2
Lopez was traveling in a crashed prison bus on May 12 while fleeing. Lopez had been on the run for three weeks and may have been hiding in or near Collins’ farm.
Mounted police appear to be searching for Lopez after he escaped from a prison bus. Officials say a “serious incident review” is under way into Lopez’s escape
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is still investigating how Lopez escaped from his cage and escaped from the cage of the bus where he was staying.
After his escape, law enforcement patrolled hard on Highway 7 and other streets in Centerville, taking many of the city’s nearly 1,000 residents to their homes to make them feel safe.
Jean Davis, 70, who owns a grocery and grocery store in the eastern part of the city, said her husband wanted her to take a rifle and a pistol to work, but she refused.
Davis, who lives 15 miles in Buffalo, said: “The city is really on the shore, especially for the first 10 days when he was missing and no one knew where he was.
State troops, Texas Criminal Justice Department officials, representatives of the U.S. Martial Services and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office – including Centerville – searched for Lopez for weeks without any luck.
Concerns about his whereabouts were justified: Lopez was convicted of capital murder, attempted capital assassination, kidnapping and increasing assault in his long criminal history.
Lopez was serving two consecutive life sentences while on the run
Gonzalo Lopez is featured in a wanted poster provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Authorities say Lopez escaped from a prison bus on May 12
Authorities say he was linked to the Mexican mafia, a prison gang, and a deal-breaker for at least two drug cartels.
In a confession to authorities, Lopez said he was on his way to Laredo from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico in 2004 to assassinate the owner of a restaurant and bar for the Mileno drug cartel when he was caught in a gunfight with agents trying to stop him. Vehicle
Lopez fled to Mexico with the help of the Mexican mafia.
In March 2005, Lopez stated that he had entered into an agreement with the La Mana drug cartel from Tamaulipas, Mexico, to abduct a man named Lupe Ramirez from Vesla, South Texas, because he had paid कार 40,000 to the cartel, according to court records.
Lopez and another man abducted Ramirez and left him in a ‘hog tied to the outside room of my mother’s house’ when they went to collect the money and marijuana that Ramirez’s family had left for them, according to court records.
Lopez later hit Ramirez’s head with a dog and buried his body in the desert.
Lopez was serving a life sentence for the capital murder for Ramirez’s death and a life sentence for attempted execution for a 2004 shooting with deputies when he escaped from a prison bus.
Grandfather Mark Collins was taking his grandchildren to the family farm when they were attacked and killed.
Authorities placed about 40 roving patrols, believing they were in the area around Centerville, possibly entering empty structures in search of food, water and clothing, said Jason Clark, a spokesman for the Texas Criminal Justice Department.
At around 6 pm on Thursday, authorities went to a house near Centerville for a welfare check and found five bodies.
In a statement, the family said the dead included 66-year-old Mark Collins and his four grandchildren: Velan Collins, 18; Carson Collins, 16; Hudson Collins, 11; And Bryson Collins, 11. Waylon, Carson and Hudson were brothers and Bryson was their uncle.
Violin graduated from high school last week, according to his grandfather’s older brother, who posted on Facebook about the murder.
He described the loss of his family as “unbearable”.
According to Tumble Little League’s Facebook post, the oldest grandson was an umpire.
Pastor Steve Benzer (above) of the Collins family described the family as having “the greatest character, deep faith, and unwavering kindness and love.”
People gather at Tumblr High School for community surveillance for five members of a regional family who were killed on Friday, June 3, 2022 in Tumblr, Texas by escaped prisoners.
At a news conference Friday afternoon, Andy Kahn, director of victim services and advocates for Houston’s crime prevention, described the family’s murder as “I’ve faced it and I’ve seen a lot.” And crossed many. ‘
The Tumble School District of suburban Houston said Friday that the grandchildren were students from that district.
Pastor Loftin of Cowboy Church in Leon County said he used to go to the family’s farm to help manage the livestock, which also has “beautiful fishing ponds and wharves.” He called them ‘good people of the earth.’
Authorities believe Lopez confronted the family Thursday. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office did not say how he was killed.
Authorities say Lopez fled the home with several weapons, as well as the family’s white Chevy truck.
Law enforcement found him in a stolen truck just before 10 p.m. in Atascosa County, south of San Antonio.
Jourdanton police officers used spike strips to flatten the truck’s tires, but Lopez continued to drive, firing two telephone poles and a rifle through the truck’s window before hitting the bar, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward said.
Lopez ‘rifle and handgun came out of an armed stolen pickup truck and shot the officers,’ Soward said. Four officers returned fire, killing Lopez.