houston — Numerous security lapses — including inadequate body searches, inappropriate restraints, understaffing, and an environment of indifference among correctional officers — led to Texas inmate escapes in May, killing five. That’s what I mean. To two reviews of the case released Thursday.
rear Gonzalo Lopez, 46, escapes prison bus On May 12, he was released from custody and was able to cut open the vehicle’s cage area. Authorities shot Lopez dead on his June 2nd, but he killed his 66-year-old Mark Collins and his four grandchildren, Waylon Collins, 18. Carson Collins, 16 years old. Hudson Collins, 11 years old. Eleven-year-old Bryson Collins on his family’s ranch near Centerville, located between Dallas and Houston.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) conducted an internal review of the abduction and hired an outside firm to conduct an independent review.
Both reports confirm that a prison officer who worked at the Hughes unit where Lopez was held and who was on the bus with Lopez did not properly remove Lopez and that the handcuffs were secured and not tampered with. I found that I was violating the procedure without doing anything.
With proper investigation, they may have found what looked like a handcuff key that Lopez had hidden in his mouth, as well as two 8- to 10-inch metal weapons he used to cut through the metal grating. there is. According to reports, he was able to let security open his door and pass the driver.
According to an independent study conducted by Miami-based CGL Companies, “In fact, had one of these actions been taken in accordance with existing policy, it is likely that the escape could have been prevented.
In an internal investigation, the TDCJ found several errors. Prison officers were unable to use the Body Orifice Security Scanner, or device known as the “BOSS chair”, on Lopez, designed to rapidly detect contraband metal within an inmate’s body cavity. Lopez’s leg restraints were improperly placed and were loose. A device that was put between the handcuffs to prevent a prisoner like Lopez from accessing the keyhole was apparently misplaced and did not cover the keyhole, and probably aided his escape.
In addition, two officers had falsified search logs indicating that Lopez’s cell had been searched when it had not.
“Public safety is the core mission of TDCJ, and as an agency, we have failed to live up to that mission,” said Brian Collier, executive director of the agency, in a statement. “Authorities have taken responsibility and worked diligently to identify the failures that led to the escape and take steps to prevent it from happening again.”
On the bus, Lopez, who killed on behalf of the Mexican drug cartel, tried to recruit some of the 15 other prisoners on board to join him, telling them they were “ready to rock and roll.” TDCJ and CGL Companies, external reviewers. One of his inmates initially said yes, but with Lopez on the bus, he killed two police officers, drove the bus to Interstate 45, hijacked a car, He changed his mind when he realized he had planned to kill the passenger and drive to San Antonio until the search was curtailed. report.
According to CGL, in both reviews, Hughes Unit staff were “complacent, circumventing security procedures and roughly rushing to complete responsibilities. These failures were not isolated incidents. , seems to have become a matter of routine and regular practice.” report.
CGL said Hughes Unit staff “had scanned Lopez in the BOSS chair prior to transport, and would likely have prevented his escape in less than a minute.”
The conclusions from the two reviews are similar to many of the findings found in a study released earlier this week by the Houston Chronicle and The Marshall Project. , found no attempt to chase or shoot the fleeing Lopez, and despite finding signs that Lopez was hiding in the Centerville area, authorities failed to warn residents that Lopez could still be in the area. I have.
Reports by the TDCJ and CGL briefly mention the deaths of the Collins family, but whether Centerville residents needed to be alerted when Lopez’s DNA was found in a cabin robbed on May 31. No information is provided about
Collins and his four grandchildren, who were killed on June 2, died from gunshot wounds, sharp wounds and stab wounds. After killing his family, Lopez stole an AR-15-style rifle and pistol from a ranch and a truck that drove about 220 miles (220 miles) to Atascosa County, south of San Antonio, according to authorities. He was killed by the police there.
Attorneys for the Collins family have notified Texas agencies that they plan to file a lawsuit over the deaths.
Following the investigation, the TDCJ initiated disciplinary action against more than 20 staff members and supervisors. Since the escape, authorities have made several security changes, including increasing the number of police officers required on all transit buses to three and beginning to install video surveillance equipment on buses.
The CGL also made several recommendations, including suggesting that the TDCJ reconfigure its transport buses to improve security and develop strategies to reduce staff vacancies. In the month before Lopez fled, his 43% of Hughes Corps corrections jobs were vacant.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gonzalo-lopez-numerous-security-lapses-escape-texas-inmate-killed-5/ A number of security breaches led to the escape of Texas inmate Gonzalo Lopez and the subsequent death of five people, the review said.