At least five people were found dead in Texas, hiding under a pile of laundry in a closet Tuesday night, according to San Jacinto County authorities.
Sheriff Greg Capers confirmed with The Associated Press that Francisco Oropeza, 38, was hiding in a house just 20 minutes away from the shooting scene. Oropeza was captured near Conroe, Texas – 20 miles from Cleveland, Texas, where he is suspected to have shot and killed five of his neighbors using an AR-style rifle on April 28.
“I mean, this is crazy. How he was like so close to me, and I had no idea he was a really dangerous guy so it’s kind of scary when I found out,” Evelyn Echeverria, a neighbor, said.
The arrest comes after a four-day manhunt that involved more than 250 law enforcement officers. Local, state and federal authorities united and offered a reward of $80,000 for his arrest after having approximately zero leads on Oropeza’s location days after the shooting. The tip money was later recorded to have reached $100,000 earlier today, according to local reports.
“I cannot begin to express my sincere gratitude to all of my deputies, investigators, command staff, ancillary staff, as well as all of the law enforcement officials, agencies and divisions that provided aid and support during this manhunt. Thank you to all of the citizens that provided tips and support in this investigation,” Capers said in a statement.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) initially said in a statement announcing the reward that the suspect and the victims were all “illegal immigrants.” His office later retracted the statement, after their aides learned that at least one of the victims may have been in the country legally.
Oropeza is charged with five counts of murder and held on a $5 million bond.
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