Investigators believe suspect in deadly I-5 hit-and-run in Seattle has fled to Mexico

Anthony Michael Lopez, the man prosecutors say is responsible for killing two people in a hit-and-run crash in February, did not show up for his bail hearing on Monday. Prosecutors believe that he has left the country.

“We have information now that Mr. Lopez has fled the country and is believed to be in Mexico,” a prosecutor from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said to a judge.

Lopez faces two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run for the Feb. 26 incident.

Officials say it happened around 3:00 a.m. on Feb. 26, when two cars collided on southbound Interstate 5 near Southwest Spokane Street. Moments later, officials said that Lopez, who was driving a Jeep, slammed into the disabled vehicles, killing the driver and passenger in one car and seriously injuring the other driver.

Investigators say Lopez did not stop and kept driving. He was never arrested, and police are actively looking for him. Prosecutors asked the judge to increase his bail from $250,000 to $1,000,050. The judge agreed.

“The federal marshals are wanting to look for him, but we need a substantial increase in bail. I am asking for $100,000,050,” the prosecutor said.

This isn’t the first time Lopez has faced charges like this. According to court documents, Lopez was driving in Issaquah in 2017 when he hit and killed Keven Lozoya and drove away from the scene.

“Mr. Lopez is someone who, although he is a young person, in 2017 he veered into a teenager and killed a teenager and fled the scene and has been convicted in juvenile court for vehicular homicide,” the prosecutor said.

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