2023-05-03 21:32:02
CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — A man suspected of shooting at his neighbor’s home and killing five Hondurans was arrested Tuesday following being wanted for four days, Texas authorities said.
The manhunt for Francisco Oropeza, 38, began Friday following he fled the scene of the deadly shooting in rural Cleveland, regarding 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Houston.
Oropeza opened fire following his neighbors asked him to stop shooting in their garden because they were trying to put a baby to sleep. The boy’s mother and his 9-year-old brother are among those killed.
Here are a few things to know regarding the case:
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WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE CHASE?
An FBI agent acknowledged Monday that authorities had few leads in the widening manhunt for Oropeza.
More than 250 law enforcement officers from various agencies, including the US Marshals Service, were involved in the search, which had come to nothing despite the use of additional items, sniffer dogs, drones and an $80,000 reward.
Large numbers of police officers were in Montgomery County Monday following a possible sighting, but the sheriff later said Oropeza was not among the people questioned.
County sheriff Rand Henderson confirmed Tuesday that Oropeza was arrested without incident near the city of Conroe, regarding 20 miles from the home where the shooting occurred.
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WHO IS OROPEZA?
Oropeza is a Mexican who has been deported four times, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service. He was deported in March 2009, in September of that same year, in January 2012 and in July 2016.
The FBI in Houston tweeted Sunday that it was referring to the suspect as Oropesa, not Oropeza, to “better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems.” His family has his name written as Oropeza on a sign outside his garden, and also in public records.
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WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING?
Neighbors often shoot guns in the rural community to relax. But Wilson García said that his baby mightn’t sleep because of the noise, so he and two other people asked Oropeza to shoot further from his house.
After Oropeza denied the request, the family called police multiple times, Garcia recalled Sunday.
He indicated that while he was waiting for help to arrive, Oropeza ran towards him and reloaded his weapon. Garcia’s home was filled with 15 people, including several friends who were there to join Garcia’s wife in a church retreat.
The people killed are García’s wife, Sonia Argentina Guzmán, 25, and their 9-year-old son, Daniel Enrique Laso; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, and José Jonathan Casarez, 18.
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WHAT RELATION DOES THE CASE HAVE WITH THE MIGRATION ISSUE?
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has faced criticism for emphasizing the immigration status of victims.
Abbott offered a $50,000 reward for any tips that might lead to the shooter’s arrest, and in doing so, said the victims were “illegal immigrants,” a potentially false statement his office retracted Monday and apologized.
Critics accused Abbott — who has made immigration reform a distinctive issue in Texas — of linking the policy to the tragic shooting.
“We have since learned that at least one of the victims may have been in the United States legally,” Renae Eze, an Abbott spokeswoman, said in a statement. “We regret if the information was incorrect and undermined the important goal of finding and arresting the offender.”
Eze noted that information provided by federal authorities following the shooting indicated that the suspect and the victims were in the country illegally. In her statement, she did not address why Abbott brought up her status, and she did not immediately respond to questions regarding the criticism.
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