Police in New York City are currently on the lookout for 37-year-old Jose Lopez, who managed to escape from custody while receiving treatment for a leg injury at a Bronx hospital. The incident occurred at NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln, where Lopez was being treated just before noon on Thursday.
According to officials, Lopez decided to flee the hospital on foot, though it remains unclear what specific type of leg injury he was being treated for. Lopez had been arrested on August 29th after being caught riding a gas-powered motorcycle at a high speed on a public sidewalk at East 150th Street and Gerard Avenue in West Concourse. After attempting to evade officers and crashing, he was found in possession of a large quantity of narcotics.
Following his arrest, Lopez faced numerous charges including drug possession, reckless driving, failure to yield to a pedestrian, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, and obstructing governmental administration. Despite being arraigned from his hospital bed on September 12th, Lopez managed to escape custody shortly after.
This incident adds to a list of similar occurrences where individuals have escaped custody while receiving treatment at local hospitals. In June, James Mossetty, 35, ran away from Bellevue Hospital’s secure loading area as he was being transported back to Rikers Island. Similarly, in August of 2023, Yenchun Chen, 44, escaped from Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital by rappelling out a fifth-floor window using sheets tied together.
A photo of Lopez wearing light blue hospital attire has been released by the NYPD as they continue their search for him. His next scheduled court appearance is set for October 21st.
It is important to note that the Department of Correction has clarified that Lopez escaped NYPD custody, correcting a previous misstatement in the initial report. The search for Lopez continues as authorities work to ensure his safe return to custody.