Global Courant
A Mexican suspected of killing five neighbors in Southeast Texas after one of them asked him to stop firing his gun because a baby was trying to sleep was charged Friday with multiple murders.
Francisco Oropeza, 38, a Mexican citizen, had been deported several times prior to the deadly attack in Cleveland, Texas, in April.
The capital murder charge is in addition to the five murders Oropeza was charged with in May.
SHOOTING IN TEXAS: SUSPECTED OF KILLING 5 NEIGHBORS AFTER REQUEST TO STOP GUN FIRE
Francisco Oropesa, 39, a Mexican national, is suspected of killing five people near Cleveland, Texas, Friday, April 28, 2023. (Fox news)
San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon told the Associated Press that it is a little too early to decide whether to seek the death penalty against the accused.
Oropeza’s attorney, Anthony Osso, said his client will plead not guilty, adding that his team was expecting the lead charge.
Oropesa is accused of using an AR-15 to kill four adults: Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velázquez Alvarado, 21; Julia Molina Rivera, 31; and Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18 – as well as a child, 9-year-old Daniel Enrique Laso Guzman.
TEXAS WOMAN BOASTS TO REHAB CENTER WHILE LOOKING FOR HER EX: POLICE
Law enforcement agencies responded to a scene where five people were shot the night before Saturday, April 29, 2023 in Cleveland, TX. Authorities say an 8-year-old child was one of five killed in a shooting at the Southeast Texas home late Friday night. ((Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP))
The suspect fled the neighborhood after the shooting, sparking a manhunt that went dry for days despite more than 250 officers, drones and sniffer dogs, and an $80,000 reward for information leading to Oropeza’s arrest and conviction.
After a five-day manhunt, U.S. Marshals, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Border Patrol BORTAC team apprehended Oropeza without incident on May 3.
He was found hiding under a pile of laundry in the closet of a house about 20 miles from where the shooting took place.
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In addition to Oropeza’s arrest, the suspect’s roommate and a friend were also charged with obstructing the apprehension or prosecution of a known criminal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
