Francisco Oropesa was captured, and the author of the massacre in Texas is accused of killing five people. The apprehension of the Mexican occurred in Cut and Shoot, a small town in Montgomery County, north of Houston in the United States on Tuesday, in social networks shared the video of the moment of his arrest.
In a press conference, the U.S. authorities said that there is already an investigation and thanked those who participated in achieving this arrest. They described the acts of the Mexicans as “a heinous crime that devastated the community and the country.” They hope the victims’ families can be relieved after the arrest.
The police chief noted that Oropeza was taken into custody without incident near Conroe, a town 20 miles (32 kilometers) from his residence. Authorities said the suspect fled after shooting his neighbors and triggering an intense search that involved more than 250 officers from different jurisdictions. Henderson did not disclose whether Oropeza was armed or how authorities found him.
Police had used drones and sniffer dogs during the search for the alleged killer, which included combing a heavily wooded area a few miles from the crime scene. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, had offered a $50,000 reward as the search dragged through the weekend, and the FBI acknowledged they had little information on the suspect’s whereabouts.
Francisco Oropesa was residing in the country illegally.
Francisco Oropesa killed five Hondurans: Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9 years old. The tragedy occurred last Friday when his neighbors in San Jacinto County asked him to stop shooting in the air, which unleashed Francisco’s fury. He responded that he could do whatever he wanted on his property. Minutes later, he went to Wilson Garcia’s home, rang the doorbell and opened fire on the family and their visitors.
Oropeza had been deported four times, according to federal immigration officials. The suspect was first deported in March 2009 and last deported in July 2016. He was also repatriated in September 2009 and January 2012. San Jacinto County Police Chief Greg Capers noted that his officers had been called to appear at the suspect’s home on at least one previous occasion because he had been shooting in his yard.
All the victims were Hondurans. Wilson Garcia, who survived the attack, said that friends and family members at the residence tried to hide and protect themselves and the children after Oropeza entered the place and started shooting, first killing his wife at the front door.
While offering the reward, Abbott referred to the victims as “illegal immigrants,” a statement that was partly false and for which his office retracted and apologized Monday after receiving heavy criticism for focusing attention on the victims’ immigration status.