Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
After four days of intense searching, authorities in the Greater Houston area announced Tuesday that they’d arrested the man suspected of murdering five of his neighbors Friday night.
According to FBI Houston, 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa, a Mexican national who had been deported from the United States at least four times, was found at a residence in Cut and Shoot, Texas, a small town between Cleveland and Conroe, just north of Houston.
#BREAKING San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers and @FBIHouston announce that Francisco Oropesa has been CAPTURED.
He was arrested this evening at around 6:45 p.m. at a home in Conroe, TX, after the #FBI received an anonymous tip with his location. #ClevelandTXshooting pic.twitter.com/9KySBs09UC— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) May 3, 2023
“This is what we do. We show up, we bring all available resources, and we don’t let up” Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul said in a statement. “Thank you to all of the FBI personnel and partner law enforcement agencies who’ve worked non-stop to arrest this individual to try to bring some justice to the 5 victims and return a sense of security back to the San Jacinto County community.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also confirmed the arrest with a tweet that read, “Great job by law enforcement.”
Great job by law enforcement. https://t.co/wDLhsF56eF
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 3, 2023
Paul said that a tip helped police locate Oropesa. Authorities had been offering a reward of $80,000 for information leading to Oropesa’s capture.
THE KILLINGS
Oropesa, who is being held on a $5 million bond, is alleged to have murdered five people, including one child, execution style after he was asked to stop practice-firing his AR-15 on a property in Cleveland, Texas.
Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18, and Daniel Enrique Laso, 8, all lost their lives. Most of the victims, all of whom were from Honduras, were shot in the head.
“He is behind bars, and he will live out his life behind bars for killing those five,” San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, whose county was the site of the murders, told reporters during a press availability.
As heinous as the alleged crimes were, Oropesa’s arrest seems to have been routine.
“Francisco Oropesa, who was wanted in connection with shooting that occurred in Cleveland, Texas, was taken into custody in Montgomery County without incident. We would like to thank all local, state, and federal agencies who collaborated in this effort,” a statement from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the county in which Oropesa was found, reads.
Capers said simply, “Bottom line is we now have this man in custody. He was caught hiding in a closet underneath some laundry.”
The U.S. Marshals Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, and U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit coordinated to make the arrest.
The extent and exact nature of the charges Oropesa faces remain unclear. It is not yet known when he will face arraignment.