Francisco Oropesa’s wife and others arrested after Texas shooting
Following the arrest of a man accused of killing five of his neighbors near Cleveland, Texas, more arrests have been made, according to authorities. San Jacinto County Chief Deputy Tim Kean confirmed the arrests on Wednesday morning but refrained from disclosing an exact number, as well as identities or charges faced by the suspects. Nevertheless, reports from the Associated Press suggest that Montgomery County Sheriff Rand Henderson confirmed that the wife of the shooting suspect was taken into custody.
The main suspect in the shootings, Francisco Oropesa, 38, was found hiding in Montgomery County on Tuesday evening following a four-day manhunt. Officials transferred him from Montgomery County to the San Jacinto County Jail where they are expected to set his bond at $5 million on Wednesday.
Reports revealed that Oropesa was intoxicated on Friday night when his neighbors asked him to stop shooting in his yard due to a baby trying to sleep. Following this, the neighbors were found shot to death, with the sheriff’s office stating that the killings were “execution-style.”
A multi-agency search was launched, including banners and digital billboards displaying Oropesa’s face, and a $100,000 reward was offered for information leading to his capture. Just moments before his arrest, the U.S. Marshals announced they would be adding $20,000 to the reward.
FBI ASAC Jimmy Paul stated that a tip was received on the FBI Tipline around 5:15 p.m., with Oropesa arrested by 6:30 p.m. However, Chief Deputy Kean reported that Oropesa is not believed to have been hiding out at the home where he was found all this while since the shootings. Furthermore, sighted reports on Monday in Montgomery County, which prompted school campuses nearby to secure, were not deemed false alarms.
Chief Deputy Kean declined to confirm Oropesa’s connection to the house where he was found. Nevertheless, the recent developments may provide a breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into the brutal killings.
