An inmate with a lengthy criminal record escaped from a hospital Thursday morning — minutes after he made a virtual appearance before a Bronx judge, according to police and court records.
Career criminal Jose Lopez, 37, slipped out of police custody around 11:52 a.m. while staying at NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln in Mott Haven, police said.
About 20 minutes earlier, he was charged on a slew of charges from his hospital bed after speeding and hitting a motorcycle while fleeing police in the Bronx on Aug. 29, according to police and records .
Police tried to arrest him at the time, but he fled, leading police on a wild chase.
When officers finally arrested him at Gerard Avenue and East 150 Street, he had drugs on him, the NYPD said.
He was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment, obstruction of governmental administration, reckless driving, failure to yield to a pedestrian, leaving the scene by a driver causing property damage and operating a vehicle on or on a sidewalk.
Lopez pleaded not guilty to the charge Thursday morning, with Bronx Judge Daniel Lewis setting bail at $1, records show.
Since 2008, Lopez has made 16 arrests ranging from theft, burglary and drug charges, police said.
After his daring escape Thursday morning, police and K-9 units flooded the area around the hospital in an attempt to find him.
According to police, it is unclear how he was able to escape.
A photo released by the NYPD shows Lopez, of University Heights, in blue hospital scrubs before fleeing on foot.
He is described as 6 feet tall, 170 pounds.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
