Gonzalo Lopez (Leon County Sheriff's Office)
CENTERVILLE, Texas - DNA collected from a cabin matched an escaped Texas inmate who authorities believe killed five people at a nearby home in Leon County, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice says.
According to TDCJ, the DNA was collected from the cabin two days before a grandfather and his four grandchildren were killed at a nearby ranch, but the DNA results didn’t come back until after their deaths.
Authorities say Gonzalo Lopez, 46, escaped from a prison bus on May 12 and had last been seen running into a wooded area in Leon County. The search came to an end on June 2 when Lopez was shot following a brief chase.
Earlier that day, authorities in Leon County said they received a call from a concerned family member who had not heard from one of their relatives. Authorities went to the home near Centerville where they were supposed to be staying and found five people – ages 66, 18, 16, 11, and 11—dead.
Authorities believe Lopez killed the family before taking off in a stolen pickup truck.
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Shortly after, law enforcement spotted the stolen vehicle south of San Antonio in Jourdanton, where they ended in a gunfight with the driver, later identified as Lopez. He was shot and killed in the incident.
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The Tomball Independent School District, near Houston, said the four children killed at the Leon County home were students in their district.
The victims were identified as 66-year-old Mark Collins, 18-year-old Waylon, 16-year-old Carson, 11-year-old Hudson, and 11-year-old Bryson.