U.S. Marshals source says fugitive Jonnie Lopez is in custody

MILWAUKEE (WITI) — A source with the U.S. Marshals Office in Milwaukee has confirmed with FOX6 News wanted fugitive, 28-year-old Jonnie Lopez was taken into custody on Thursday, July 25th.

A U.S. Marshals source says Lopez was headed southbound on I-94 when his vehicle was spotted near 7 Mile Road, near the auto auction.

Lopez was wanted by U.S. Marshals since February.

Authorities began searching for Lopez at the Juneau Village Towers apartments on Tuesday night, July 23rd -- near the intersection of Jackson and Juneau on Milwaukee's lower East Side after a FOX6 viewer led authorities there.

Officials say Lopez escaped by climbing down from a seventh floor balcony to the third floor -- a desperate descent beginning about 80 feet in the air.

Lopez was most recently featured on FOX6′s Wisconsin’s Most Wanted last week.

Marshals say Lopez has a criminal past involving gun, drugs and gang ties.

Lopez was scheduled to plead guilty to drug charges in March, but Marshals say that never happened. About a month beforehand, Lopez was involved in an incident on Milwaukee’s south side.

Authorities say Lopez and two others lured an individual to a towing lot with possible interest in vehicle titles. Police are looking into whether Lopez attempted to take the titles by force.

The potential victim fired into the air, scaring the men off. Shortly after the incident, authorities say Lopez vanished.

Officials say when he was arrested on Thursday, July 25th, he had dyed his hair a lighter color and had attempted to use makeup to conceal a neck tattoo reading his last name: Lopez.