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San Benito County Sheriff Eric Taylor has confirmed that Daniel Lopez Zavala, 38, and his girlfriend Luz Mendoza, 31, were arrested May 29 in San Jose
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Luz Mendoza. Photo courtesy of the San Benito Sheriff’s Department. Lopez Zavala, a Hollister resident who escaped from San Benito County Jail May 28, was arrested around 7:20 p.m. following an attempt to flee a San Jose hotel on foot.
“He jumped a wall and tried to get away but the perimeter units were able to catch him,” Taylor told BenitoLink.
He said Mendoza was in the hotel room with him. She is also from Hollister.
Daniel Lopez Zavala. Photo courtesy of San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/unnamed.jpg?fit=197%2C240&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/unnamed.jpg?fit=197%2C240&ssl=1″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/unnamed.jpg?resize=197%2C240&ssl=1″ alt=”Daniel Lopez Zavala. Photo courtesy of San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.” class=”wp-image-102245″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/unnamed.jpg?w=197&ssl=1 197w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/unnamed.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/unnamed.jpg?w=400&ssl=1 400w” sizes=”(max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px”>
Taylor said there were no weapons found in the hotel room but law enforcement did find a methamphetamine pipe.
Taylor said a Santa Cruz anti-crime task force and the San Jose Police Department aided in the arrest. Lopez Zavala was rebooked into the county jail around 9 p.m. and will be held in a maximum security location.
He added his office is still in search of at least one more person law enforcement believe helped Lopez Zavala escape jail.
Taylor said he believes Lopez Zavala planned his escape though it’s unclear for how long.
“I think it does appear to be that it was a moment of opportunity that he had – but definitely he had some things lined up in place for people to help him,” Taylor said.
Taylor also previously said there was an indication that Lopez Zavala used a vehicle in the escape, but that it was unclear whether he was picked up or if he took a vehicle that was there.
He also clarified though he previously commented on the short staffing of his office, he believes it’s too early in the investigation to say if that played a role in Lopez Zavala’s escape.
In terms of what his office is doing to secure the jail, he said staff are at a heightened level.
“Clearly staff understands that if there was a breakdown in any type of work ethic that they are probably paying close attention right now and it needs to continue here in the future,” Taylor said.
He added this is the first inmate to escape this jail location since its construction in the 1990s.
Moving forward with the internal investigation that began May 29, he said there is a procedure that needs to be followed but will keep the community informed with the information he legally can disclose.
“I have a commitment to this community to always be transparent [and] open,” Taylor said. “I take responsibility for what happened. I think I owe an apology to the victim of the case that he was arrested on and we owe an apology to the Hollister Police Department who did their job—took a guy into custody to face charges and we weren’t able to keep him in custody.”
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