Authorities have reported that a man who was suspected of being involved in a mass shooting near Cleveland, Texas last week has been apprehended after a thorough search. The shooting resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including a young boy who was only nine years old.
In a Tuesday night news conference, Montgomery County Sheriff Greg Capers confirmed that 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa was arrested at approximately 7 p.m. local time at a residence in Cut and Shoot, Texas. The arrest came after a multi-day search and a tip from the public.
According to Capers, he was found concealed in a closet, beneath a pile of laundry.
According to Capers, the suspect has been charged with five counts of murder and has been taken into custody at the Montgomery County Jail. The accused is currently being held on a $5 million bond. According to Capers, the transfer of the individual was scheduled to take place at the Cold Springs jail in San Jacinto County.
According to CBS News, the San Jacinto County District Attorney’s Office reported that the FBI, Border Patrol, and U.S. Marshals participated in the apprehension.
According to a statement by Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Troy Miller, he expressed immense pride in the Border Patrol’s elite BORTAC unit agents who aided in the capture of Oropesa. According to the individual, Air and Marine Operations furnished overwatch surveillance and aerial support during the operation.
According to FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Division, Jimmy Paul, the suspect was apprehended after a member of the public provided a tip.
According to Paul, he expressed extreme happiness that the citizen had the courage and bravery to provide the tip.
The authorities have declined to reveal whether the residence where Oropesa was discovered belonged to acquaintances or relatives of the perpetrator.
According to Capers, the suspect allegedly shot his neighbors on Friday evening following their request for him to cease firing rounds in his yard.
North of Houston, near the town of Cleveland, an attack occurred. Cut and Shoot is situated approximately 17 miles to the west of Cleveland.
According to Capers’ report, the victims’ ages ranged from 9 to 31 years old and they were all thought to be from Honduras. According to the speaker, all the individuals were shot specifically in the area from the neck upwards. Sonia Guzman, 28, Diana Velasquez, 21, Obdulia Molina, 31, Jonathan Caceres, 18, and Daniel Enrique Lazo, 9, have been identified.
According to reports, a shooting incident occurred in a home where a total of 10 individuals were present. Fortunately, the other five individuals present at the time of the incident were unharmed. According to Capers, three children were discovered in the residence, their bodies smeared with blood. However, the children were confirmed to be unharmed.
According to Capers, the police have found the AR-15-style rifle that was suspected to have been used by Oropesa in the shootings on Saturday. Clothes and a cell phone, believed to belong to the suspect, were also discovered by investigators.
In 2009, ICE agents in Houston deported Oropesa, a Mexican national, after he was ordered to be removed by a U.S. immigration judge. According to CBS News, the individual was reportedly apprehended and removed multiple times over the course of seven years after re-entering the country. According to records, Oropesa was previously convicted in Montgomery County for driving while intoxicated and was subsequently sentenced to serve time in jail for the offense.
According to Capers, a warrant was issued for Oropesa last year subsequent to his wife filing a protective order against him. This was confirmed by Capers on Tuesday night.
According to Capers, “we got a warrant for him” to the best of his knowledge. According to sources, the constable attempted to serve the individual in another county after they had left the area, but was unable to establish communication with them. Following the incident, the victim proceeded to the district attorney’s office located in San Jacinto County where they filed a non-prosecution statement a few days later.
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