On March 10, 2026, a Burnet County jury found Ryan Lopez, 40, of Pleasanton, Texas, guilty of Evading Arrest with a Motor Vehicle and Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant. The jury sentenced Lopez to 10 years in prison and assessed a $10,000 fine on each count. Under Texas law, Lopez’s sentences will be served concurrently.
Lopez was arrested on June 23, 2024, following a multi-county, high-speed pursuit that spanned Mason, Llano, Burnet, and Lampasas Counties. The incident began when a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper observed Lopez pass his patrol vehicle on the shoulder of a roadway in Mason County at a high rate of speed. When Lopez refused to stop, a pursuit was initiated that drew the coordinated response of multiple law enforcement agencies.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Lopez posed a significant danger to the public throughout the pursuit. Officers testified that Lopez reached speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour and ran a red light at approximately 90 miles per hour — even after his front-left tire was successfully deflated by a spike strip deployed by the Llano County Sheriff's Office on State Highway 29 near Llano.
