Burnet County jury sentences Pleasanton man for 2024 multi-county, high-speed pursuit
Ryan Lopez, 40, of Pleasanton was arrested in Lampasas after leading law enforcement on a dangerous, high-speed chase across four counties, including Burnet and Llano counties, in June 2024. A Burnet County jury recently sentenced him to 10 years in prison for his involvement in the ordeal. Burnet County Jail photo
A Burnet County jury found on Tuesday, March 10, that Ryan Lopez, 40, of Pleasanton, was guilty of evading arrest with a motor vehicle and aggravated assault of a public servant. The crimes were linked to a 2024 incident in which Lopez led law enforcement on a dangerous, high-speed pursuit through the Hill Country that ended in an hour-long standoff.
Lopez was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $10,000 for each of his crimes, which will be served concurrently. His trial was heard by 33rd Judicial District Judge Allen Garrett and he was prosecuted by assistant district attorneys Sheri Bloom and Baron Vana of the 33rd/424th District Attorney’s Office.
Lopez was arrested on June 23, 2024. The chase began in Mason County, when he passed a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper on the shoulder of the highway at a “high rate of speed.”
Lopez refused to stop after the trooper attempted to make contact. More agencies joined the pursuit as he fled into Llano County. According to sworn testimony from officers involved in the incident, Lopez reached speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour and ran a red light at 90 mph. The chase continued through Burnet and Lampasas counties.
Of particular note in the pursuit were the actions of DPS Trooper Alexander Goch, who attempted to push Lopez off the road, putting himself in imminent danger as the driver repeatedly swerved at him. Goch was able to use his firearm to deflate one of Lopez’s tires, which allowed a spike trap in Lampasas County to ensnare the vehicle.
Ultimately, he was finally stopped in Lampasas County by the joint efforts of Llano County Sheriff’s Office deputies, DPS troopers, Burnet County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Burnet Police Department officers, and Lampasas County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
“I am proud of the joint efforts of the multiple law enforcement agencies that worked together to stop this pursuit,” District Attorney Perry Thomas said in a Friday, March 13, media release.
Lopez’s high-speed chase in June 2024 drew an enormous amount of attention from Hill Country law enforcement.
The incident was seen as dire, as Lopez told officers over the phone that he was armed and had a child in the car with him during the chase. He also demanded the media come to the scene.
Once Lopez was stopped and in a standoff with law enforcement near Putters and Gutters in Lampasas, Lampasas County Sheriff Jesus “Jess” Ramos talked him down, and learned that there was no child in the vehicle, but there was a dog and an unloaded firearm.
Miraculously, there were no injuries in the ordeal and Lopez was taken into custody peacefully.