New details in escape of Gonzalo Lopez, who allegedly murdered Texas family; other inmates could face charges

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New details emerged in how Mexican Mafia associate Gonzalo Lopez escaped from a prison bus before going on the lam for three weeks and allegedly murdering a Texas rancher and his four grandsons.

Lopez eventually died in a shootout with law enforcement near San Antonio, but state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, revealed new information to KXXV Wednesday on how the convicted murderer serving two life sentences is believed to have escaped from a prison bus traveling near rural Centerville.

Whitmire said some of the other 16 inmates aboard the bus could face criminal charges after they allegedly "started making a disturbance, singing and jumping up and down," distracting officers as Lopez was releasing his restraints and "breaking out of the little cage he was in," Whitmire said. 

Lopez allegedly told the other inmates he was going to escape and "this is your opportunity" too, Whitmire said. The state’s most senior senator claimed that Lopez used the same key to release his restraints and open a caged door to the front of the bus, where he stabbed the driver. 

TEXAS TEMPORARILY HALTS PRISON TRANSPORTS AFTER GONZALO LOPEZ ESCAPE, 3-WEEK MANHUNT

"Same key for both, I understand," Whitmire told KXXV. 

Gonzalo Lopez, a convicted murderer, escaped a prison transport bus on May 12.  (Texas Department of Criminal Justice)

Authorities had been searching for Gonzalo Lopez since May 12. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice)

That information seemed to slightly contradict what the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has previously said about Lopez using a makeshift knife to cut through the caged door to get to the driver. 

Whitmire said the key has