Beating suspect accused of offering hush money

AN APPALING CRIME ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO BUY HIS WAY OUT OF TROUBLE ... THIS ORDEAL STARTED WHEN... ...  More »

AN APPALING CRIME ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO BUY HIS WAY OUT OF TROUBLE ... THIS ORDEAL STARTED WHEN... ...LOUIE LOPEZ WALKED BY THE HOME OF 80-YEAR- OLD, WORLD WAR TWO VETERAN CLARENCE ROWLAND. ROWLAND WAS IN HIS YARD WITH HIS LITTLE DOG. WHEN THE DOG STARTED BARKING... LOPEZ ADMITS HE FREAKED OUT...AND ATTACKED... LEAVING ROWLAND IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A BROKEN HIP... TONIGHT WE KNOW LOPEZ TRIED TO BUY HIS WAY OUT OF TROUBLE -- EVEN OFFERING A CO- WORKER HUSH MONEY ... CRIS ORNELAS IS LIVE AT THE COUNTY JAIL WITH OUR TOP STORY. LOUIE LOPEZ IS STILL LOCKED UP HERE FACING TWO FELONIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE BEATING. THE WOMAN WHO PUT HIM BEHIND BARS SAYS LOPEZ IS AN ANGRY, DISTURBED MAN AND SHE'S NOT SURPRISED HE ATTACKED A SENIOR CITIZEN. 'he was riled up just full of fire and stuff and I go whats wrong and he goes I just kicked the crap out of some man' REBECCA GIPSON WORKED WITH LOUIE LOPEZ AND SAYS AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY PUSHED AN OLD MAN DOWN AND BROKE HIS HIP AND LEG... LOPEZ CAME TO WORK BRAGGING ABOUT IT. BUT GIPSON THOUGHT LOPEZ MIGHT BE MAKING IT ALL UP UNTIL SHE SAW IT ON T-V. 'I heard about it on the news that the man was in the hospital and he was doing real bad and everything and I thought hey this ain't right' THE MAN LOPEZ ATTACKED IS NOW RECOVERING AT A LOCAL REHABILITATION HOSPITAL. 'well, i've had better days i'll tell you that much' GIPSON SAYS SHE CALLED LOPEZ AT WORK AND TOLD HIM IT WAS ALL OVER THE NEWS. 'he said just don't call the cops! just don't call the cops!'SHE SAYS LOPEZ EVEN OFFERED HER CASH TO KEEP QUIET. 'what a fool! he's trying to buy me off. did he offer you money? yeah he offered me money to buy me off not to tell the cops tell me more about that what did he offer you? 150 bucks how funny huh? ' IN THE END, SHE DID GO TO POLICE. THE WORLD WAR TWO VETERAN LOPEZ ATTACKED SAYS HE'S GRATEFUL TO GIPSON... HE'S ALSO GOT HARSH WORDS FOR LOPEZ. 'if you could speak to mr lopez right now what would you say to him? I wouldn't want to talk to him i'd probably call him a ' IT MAY BE HARD FOR LOPEZ TO GET OUT OF HERE FOR A WHILE... TODAY THE JUDGE SET HIS BOND AT 30- THOUSAND CASH ONLY. A NOT GUILTY VERDICT FOR THE  « Less