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An inmate with a long rap sheet escaped from a hospital Thursday morning — minutes after he appeared virtually in front of a Bronx judge, according to police and court records.

Career criminal Jose Lopez, 37, slipped away from police custody during a stay at NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln around 11:52 a.m. in Mott Haven, police said.

Around 20 minutes earlier, he was arraigned from his hospital bed on a slew of charges after allegedly speeding and crashing a motorcycle while running from cops in the Bronx on Aug. 29 , according to police and records.


  Jose Lopez, 37, slipped away from police custody during a stay at a Bronx hospital. DCPI Jose Lopez, 37, slipped away from police custody during a stay at a Bronx hospital. DCPI

Cops tried to pull him over at the time but he fled, leading police on a wild chase.

When officers finally collared him on Gerard Avenue and East 150 Street, he was carrying drugs, 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, operator leaving the scene causing property damage and driving a vehicle on or across a sidewalk. 


  Inmate Jose Lopez escaped from NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln Thursday morning. Peter Gerber Inmate Jose Lopez escaped from NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln Thursday morning. Peter Gerber

Lopez pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday morning, while Bronx judge Daniel Lewis set $1 cash bail, records show.

Since 2008, Lopez racked up 16 arrests ranging from robbery, burglary and drug charges, police said. 

After his daring escape Thursday morning, police and K-9 units flooded the area around the hospital to try to find him.


  Police flooded the area after inmate Jose Lopez slipped away from police. Peter Gerber Police flooded the area after inmate Jose Lopez slipped away from police. Peter Gerber

Cops said it’s unclear how he managed to get away.

A photo released by the NYPD shows Lopez, of University Heights, in blue hospital garb before he fled on foot. 

He’s described as 5-foot-11, 170 pounds. 

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. 

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