Mother of Hit-and- Run Victim Joe Lopez Pleas for Information, Justice

The mother of 21-year-old hit and run victim, Joe Lopez, recently collaborated with the San Angelo Police Department to make a video plea in hopes of generating tips on the unsolved case.  The video titled, “Justice4JoeLopez” can be viewed on the San Angelo Police Department’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SanAngeloPoliceDepartment . 

In the video plea, Rose Marie Lopez talks about her son’s childhood and passion for skateboarding, hard work and his love of people. She is reaching out to the suspect to let him or her know that she and her family forgive them because that is what Joe would have wanted. Ms. Lopez is requesting the video be shared as much as possible, extending outside the city of San Angelo as the driver may be from out of town. 

Joe Lopez was killed around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug, 2, 2015 when he was struck by an SUV while riding his skateboard along S. Chadbourne Street near East Avenue I.

Investigators have followed up on several tips, but none have led to the driver’s identification or location of the vehicle. 

Based on evidence collected at the scene and surveillance video, police are searching for a white or light-colored late '90s to early 2000s model Ford Explorer or Expedition that would have sustained damage to the passenger-side headlight area. 

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.  If you have information about the incident, call the Crime Stoppers Anonymous Tip Hotline at 325-658-HELP, or tip online at http://bit.ly/CrimeStoppersWebTip. You can also text a tip, text CSSA plus your message to CRIMES.

For follow-up interview with a family spokesperson, contact Officer Tracy Gonzalez at 325-481-2718.