Texas Massacre Suspect Found

(UnitedVoice.com) – For days, Texas and federal authorities desperately searched for a mass killer. The man allegedly executed five of his neighbors, including a 9-year-old. That manhunt came to an end on May 2, ending a manhunt that began on April 28 and gripped the nation.

On Tuesday, May 2, law enforcement officials apprehended Francisco Oropesa, 38, in the town of Cut and Shoot. The suspect was reportedly found under a pile of laundry in a closet. Police have accused Oropesa of shooting and killing Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Josué Jonatan Cáceres, 18; Obdulia Molina Rivera, 31; Sonia Argentina Guzmán Taibot, 25, and her son, 9-year-old Daniel Enrique Lazo Guzmán. Alvarado and Rivera were massacred while shielding babies with their bodies. Oropesa was allegedly angry after members of the household asked him to stop firing his weapon in his yard because a baby was trying to go to sleep.

After the murders, Oropesa fled on foot. Authorities believed they had him cornered, but he managed to elude them for the next four days. His significant other, 53-year-old Divimara Lamar Nava, was also arrested. Rob Freyer, the San Jacinto County first assistant district attorney, said she was charged with hindering the apprehension of a suspect. Originally, police said she was cooperating with the investigation but was actually helping to hide him.

#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

Law enforcement offered a reward of $80,000 for the arrest of Oropesa. Authorities revealed he was captured after someone called in a tip, but would not reveal anything about the tipster. A “friend” of the shooter, Domingo Castilla, was also apprehended by authorities. During a press conference reported by USA Today, San Jacinto Chief Deputy Tim Kean said, “several other arrests” took place.

The suspect has been charged with five counts of murder, but prosecutors are considering additional charges. While his immigration status was largely unclear, Governor Abbott reported Oropesa is reportedly in the country illegally, having been deported four times in the past.