Garcia Lopez became a legend almost by accident. According to popular legend (and police investigation), one day during the middle 1960s, he caught his wife cheating on him. Garcia Lopez/Bicicleta shot her to death, and was later sentenced to life in jail.
Garcia Lopez/Bicicleta then began his legendary escapes from jail. He became part of Puerto Rico's lore during the 1970s because of the apparent ease he had in escaping. Each of his escapes was well documented on newspapers such as El Nuevo Dia and El Vocero, and on the different tv news shows. During that decade, a song (La Bicicleta de Tono, or Tonos Bicicle) and a movie about him were released.
In 1983, Garcia Lopez/Bicicleta escaped for the seventh and last time. That time, he was able to stay on the loose for 12 years before being caught. When he was caught in 1995, in a confusing incident, he was shot to death by the police.
Garcia Lopez/Bicicleta's legend is still alive in Puerto Rico. Many argue that Garcia Lopez/Bicicleta had to have people help him with food and other basic necessity items in order for him to survive as an escapee for so long, suggesting then, that Garcia Lopez was probably loved and admired by many in Puerto Rico.