Tejano Super Star Joe Lopez has been released from a state prison.
Tejano Super Star Joe Lopez has been released from a state prison.
A spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville said Lopez was released from prison at 9:30 a.m. today.
The spokesman said Lopez was picked up from the prison in a private vehicle.
The Tejano singer was granted parole last year after serving 11 years in state prison.
Lopez was convicted in October 2006 on two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison, but because he serves the sentences concurrently rather than consecutively, his punishment amounts to 20 years.
Lopez, 58, co-founded Grupo Mazz in the 1970s and became the group’s lead vocalist, producing several hits and albums. He and co-founder Jimmy Gonzalez split in 1998 and formed separate bands, but each managed to keep the name Mazz in some sort of fashion.
Mando San Roman, morning disc jockey for Super Tejano 102.1, said the radio station had been getting calls from listeners asking when Lopez would be released from prison. They would also call the station requesting songs by Lopez.
San Roman said the station hopes to get an interview with Lopez in the very near future.
