WASHINGTON (AFP) – A man accused of massacring five neighbours after they asked him to stop firing his rifle in his yard was captured on Tuesday after a days-long manhunt, Texas law enforcement said.
Francisco Oropesa had eluded authorities since the shooting last Friday in the small town of Cleveland in southeastern Texas.
“We now have this man in custody,” San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday night.
“He was caught hiding in a closet underneath some laundry.”
The 38-year-old Mexican national is accused of attacking his neighbours after they allegedly asked him to stop shooting his semi-automatic AR-15 rifle because the noise was keeping a baby awake. The victims were between the ages of nine and 31, with several other residents in critical condition after multiple gunshot wounds.
Capers said the surviving family members could “rest easy” now that Oropesa was behind bars.
Authorities deployed hundreds of law enforcement officers to look for the suspect and offered an USD80,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
FBI special agent Jimmy Paul told reporters on Tuesday night that a call to the bureau’s tip line ultimately led law enforcement to Oropesa, who was arrested north of Houston at around 6.45pm local time.
“I just want to thank the person who had the courage and bravery to call in the suspect’s location,” he said.
“Tonight’s actions clearly demonstrate that our agents and officers bring incredible capabilities to bear every day as they work to keep our communities safe,” he said in a statement.
Capers had previously described a horrifying scene when authorities arrived at the victims’ residence after receiving a call about “harassment” at around 11.30pm last Friday.
Bodies were strewn from the front door to an inside bedroom, where two deceased women were found lying on top of two traumatised children who survived the massacre.
