Texas shooting - latest: Francisco Oropesa and partner ‘plotted escape to Mexico’ after Cleveland massacre
Texas massacre suspect Francisco Oropesa’s partner Divimara Lamar Nava brought him donuts from a local store and helped plot escape, say officials
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Francisco Oropesa and his partner were allegedly plotting their escape to Mexico after he killed five of his neighbours in a horror mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas.
Authorities said on Wednesday that the suspected gunman hid out in a home near Conroe just miles from the massacre while Divimara Lamar Nava brought him donuts from a local store.
Ms Lamar Nava also allegedly delivered a message to Mr Oropesa’s cousins asking them to help in their escape over the border – all the while she was pretending to cooperate with investigators.
She is now facing charges for helping Mr Oropesa following his capture on Tuesday.
The accused gunman had been the focus of a dramatic four-day manhunt in the wake of Friday’s shooting which unfolded when his neighbours asked him to stop shooting near their home because a baby was trying to sleep.
He allegedly stormed into his neighbours’ home with an AR-15-style rifle and opened fire on people inside.
Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, her nine-year-old son Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, and José Jonathan Cásarez, 18, were all killed in the shooting.
Who are the victims of the shooting?
Five people died last Friday during a shooting in Cleveland Texas.
Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, 9, attended Northside Elementary in Cleveland where students assembled memorial offerings that included flowers, stuffed animals and a soccer ball.
Daniel loved soccer, and his third-grade classmates all signed the ball. The school’s principal said Daniel had a contagious smile.
Sonia Argentina Guzmán, 25, was the mother of Daniel Guzman and the first to die during the shooting.
Wilson Garcia said he urged his wife to retreat after suspected shooter Francisco Oroepsa approached the home armed with a gun. But Ms Guzman told Mr Garcia, “told me to go inside because ‘He won’t fire at me. I’m a woman.’”
Ms Guzman was from Honrudas. Her brother, German Guzman, said his sister moved to the United States looking for work.
Diana Velásquez Alvarado, 21, was the mother to two children.
Ms Alvarado left Honduras when she was a teenager, seeking opportunity. According to the Associated Press, Ms Alvarado received residency status in the United States recently.
Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, was also the mother to two children.
Ms Rivera shielded a baby and a two-year-old girl from gunfire during the attack, saving the children’s lives.
José Jonathan Casarez, 18, was also from Hondruas. There is little information about him as of now.
Friend of Francisco Oropesa among those arrested
Investigators said that Domingo Castilla, a friend of suspected shooter Franciso Oropesa, was arrested and booked in the San Jacinto County Jail according to the Associated Press.
On Wednesday, authorities revealed that “several” other people were arrested in addition to Mr Oropesa who is accused of killing five people last Friday.
That includes Mr Castilla who was charged with marijuana possession, though authorities are expected to charge him with obstructing Mr Oropesa’s apprehension, San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon said during a news conference.
Francisco Oropesa’s partner among ‘several’ arrested in Texas shooting
Multiple people have been arrested in connection to a mass shooting that left five people dead in Cleveland, Texas, including the partner of the suspected gunman Francisco Oropesa.
The Independent reports:
Francisco Oropesa’s wife among ‘several’ arrested in Texas shooting
Suspected shooter was found hiding under laundry in a closet in a town near Cleveland, TX
FBI say the investigation will be prosecuted by San Jacinto County
FBI Houston tweeted on Wednesday that the investigation into the Cleveland shooting would be led by the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by the San Jacinto County District Attorney’s Office.
Alleged shooter Francisco Oropesa booked into the San Jacinto County Jail
Two women died protecting children who survived massacre sparked by noise complaint
During the tragic shooting in Cleveland, Texas that took place last Friday, two adult females died while trying to protect two children from the shooting.
Andrea Blanco reports:
Two women died protecting kids who survived Texas massacre sparked by noise complaint
Francisco Oropesa, intoxicated and armed with an AR-15 style rifle, allegedly stormed inside his neighbours’ home and fatally shot five people and injured three others
FBI thank law enforcement involved in capture of suspected shooter
FBI Assistant Special Agent Jimmy Paul thanked members of law enforcement and the person who submitted an anonymous tip that led to the arrest of suspected gunman Francisco Oropesa.
“Thank you to all of the FBI personnel and partner law enforcement agencies who’ve worked non-stop to arrest this individual to try to bring some justice to the 5 victims and return a sense of security back to the San Jacinto County community,” Mr Paul said in a statement posted to the FBI Houston’s Twitter page.
He added, “Thank you to the person who had the courage to call in this tip. We always said it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ he would be captured, and we’re glad this evening was that ‘when’ we’ve all been waiting for.”
“To the victims and the families, you are at the forefront of our minds. We are delighted that he’s finally in custody.”
ICYMI: How a complaint over gun noise turned into a mass murder
The massacre unfolded last Friday night (28 April) in Cleveland, Texas, when the family allegedly asked their neighbour, Francisco Oropesa, to stop shooting rounds in his yard because they had children trying to sleep.
What followed was a tragic shooting that took the lives of five people, including a nine-year-old child, a four-day-long manhunt and arrests.
The Independent reports:
Everything we know about Texas mass shooting that left five dead
Five people, including a nine-year-old boy, were killed in the Friday night violence in San Jacinto County. After a four-day manhunt, their neighbour was captured on suspicion of their murders. Andrea Blanco and Rachel Sharp report
Neighbour describes moment police swooped on suspect
A neighbour has described the moment police swooped on suspected shooter Francisco Oropesa.
Angel Lozano told The Associated Press that he was unloading tools from his truck on Tuesday night at his home in Cut and Shoot close to the city of Conroe.
All of a sudden he said he saw a stream of unmarked police cars pouring into the neighbourhood.
“A bunch of people got out with guns and they went straight to the house and surrounded the area,” he said.
“It was a really fast job they did. They got him without people getting hurt or another shooting.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.