The FBI Dallas Field Office is offering a reward of up to a $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a man accused of assaulting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Lewisville.
According to an FBI Dallas press release, 28-year-old Jerson Lopez-Sanchez allegedly intentionally wrecked into a van carrying two ICE officers while they were attempting to stop his vehicle on I-35E near FM 3040 on the morning of Dec. 1.
ICE officers were conducting operations in Lewisville when they observed a white Chevrolet pick-up truck with five occupants registered to an individual who had previously been removed from the United States.
When officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the truck, the driver stopped briefly, then put the vehicle in reverse and rammed an agent’s vehicle before fleeing, authorities said.
Agents were able to position one of their vehicles in the suspect’s path, and the truck struck that vehicle after crossing into the wrong lane of traffic, injuring two agents inside.
Officers in a third vehicle pursued the suspect for about 10 minutes on East Valley Ridge Boulevard before the truck stopped on a median and the occupants fled on foot.
A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said three of the occupants were detained with the help of civilians, but Lopez-Sanchez and the fifth occupant escaped.
The District Attorney’s Office said the federal agents “were wearing clearly marked law enforcement vests with police identifying insignia as well as carrying federal agent badges.”
On Wednesday, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Lopez-Sanchez in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas after he was charged with “assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees.”
FBI Dallas described Lopez-Sanchez as “a Hispanic male from Honduras with black hair and brown eyes.”
Officials say he is 28 years old, approximately 5-foot-8-inches and weighs 165 pounds.
To offer information about the suspect, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit an anonymous tip at tips.fbi.gov.
Although federally indicted, Lopez-Sanchez is still innocent until proven guilty, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. If convicted, Lopez-Sanchez will face up to 20 years in federal prison on each count of the indictment.
On Tuesday, Denton County approved an agreement to allow Denton County Sheriff’s Office personnel to identify and detain any person believed to be violating U.S. immigration law.
Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree had assured border czar Tom Homan that federal agents would be safe to perform their duties in Denton County and was confident the agreement would increase safety in the county.
