A traffic stop on Lake Worth Road involving the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and two undocumented migrants led to an escape attempt.
According to CBS12, on July 21, an FHP trooper stopped a passenger van missing a front bumper and with a broken taillight. The driver, identified as 27-year-old Jony Vasquez-Lopez, delayed pulling over but eventually stopped in a nearby parking lot. The trooper, part of the 287g program, discovered that Vasquez-Lopez and his passenger were both unlicensed, not fluent in English, and from Guatemala without U.S. citizenship. Border Patrol agents later confirmed their undocumented status.
Both men were secured with flex cuffs and placed in a patrol truck for transport, but they escaped during transit and fled into nearby woods. WPBF reported that a perimeter was established near I-95 and Blue Heron Boulevard. Vasquez-Lopez was quickly apprehended, but the passenger was not found after an hours-long search.
Vasquez-Lopez now faces charges for driving without a license and attempting to escape custody. The investigation to locate the passenger remains ongoing.
