Authorities in Texas apprehended Francisco Oropeza at a relative’s house, capping off a four-day manhunt for the suspect.
According to police, the suspect fled following a mass shooting on Friday night that killed five neighbours, including a 9-year-old boy.
A tip was given to the FBI at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday led authorities to Oropeza’s sister’s home in the town of Cut and Shoot. It was about 20 kilometres north of Houston, in the rural community of Cleveland.
Police said they found Oropeza hiding under a pile of laundry in a closet at the home shortly after 6 p.m. He was apprehended without incident after warning people in the area that he was armed and dangerous.
Oropeza, 38, was initially detained in Montgomery County before being transferred to a detention facility in Cold Springs, the San Jacinto County seat. He appeared before a magistrate and was held on $5 million bail.
Early on Friday evening, Police said Oropeza entered a house on a quiet, pockmarked street in rural Texas and massacred five people. Three mothers, a teen, and a nine-year-old boy were among those killed.
They are: Alvarado, Sonia Argentina Guzman Taibot, 25; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; and Daniel Enrique Lazo Guzman, 9.
Ramiro Guzman, who survived the massacre while hiding under a blanket in a closet with his wife and 6-month-old son, said his brother-in-law had asked Oropeza to stop firing his AR-15 rifle.
His AR-15 rifle was shot so close to their front yard because the noise woke up his sister and brother-in-law’s 6-week-old baby.
Sheriff Greg Capers stated at a press conference that tips were received from all over the country, including Wyoming and Florida. Over 200 law enforcement officers assisted in the search.
Oropeza’s wife was at the Cut and Shoot home at the time of his arrest, according to San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon.
No one else has been arrested in connection with the shooting or Oropeza’s flight.
dpa/NAN
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