Gonzalo Artemio Lopez (left) killed Mark Collins and his four grandchildren (right). † © AP
It was supposed to be a fun family vacation for Mark Collins (66) and his four grandchildren: they were spending a few days fishing, boating and fishing on a farm in Houston, Texas. But that outing ended in a bloodbath when they were attacked and killed by a fugitive convict.
GVsource: The New York Times, De Telegraaf
Gonzalo Artemio Lopez, 46, had escaped three weeks earlier while transporting prisoners. The man was in prison for a number of brutal crimes, including the murder of a man with an axe. He escaped his handcuffs on May 12 – while being taken to a medical examination – and assaulted the prison bus driver, stabbing that man in the chest. After a police officer opened fire on the bus, Lopez got behind the wheel himself. He crashed the car a mile into a field, and has been missing ever since.
Hundreds of officers, horses, sniffer dogs and helicopters have since taken part in what a Texas court called “one of the largest searches for a fugitive in Texas history.” Lopez came all the way”the most wantedListed from the state, and a $50,000 reward was offered for information leading to his arrest.
The Collins family murder
Lopez was found hiding in the house next to the ranch where Mark Collins and his four grandchildren, Waylon (18), Carson (16), Hudson (11), and Bryson (11) lived. When they arrived at the farm last Thursday, they were killed by the fugitive accused.
Lopez then left with the Collins’ clothes, weapons, and car. However, it was spotted by the officers 350 kilometers away. In the shootout that followed, Lopez was shot and killed.
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