Manhunt for Texas Shooting Suspect Runs into “Dead End”; Authorities Offer $80K Reward

Authorities are hoping that an $80,000 reward will lead them to the location of a Texas man who allegedly shot his neighbors after they asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard. During a press conference on Sunday, officials stated that their investigation has yielded “zero leads” thus far.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers and FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge James Smith held a press conference on Sunday afternoon to provide the most recent updates in the search for Francisco Oropesa, 38, who fled his Cleveland, Texas, home Friday night after allegedly shooting five people dead, including a 9-year-old boy.

Over 200 officers were searching for Oropesa, going door to door and asking neighbors for any information that could lead to his arrest, according to Capers.

He claims that Texas Governor Greg Abbot has offered $50,000 for his capture, with additional counties chipping in $5,000 for a total of $55,000. Smith stated that with the FBI offering $25,000, the total reward money increased to $80,000.

Smith urged residents to come forward with information, claiming that Oropesa had contacted some of his friends since the shooting.

Authorities reported a possible sighting of the suspect, based on his description, near a landfill in the Cleveland area on Monday, and urged residents to avoid the area and stay indoors “out of an abundance of caution.” Later, they confirmed that the reported sighting was false.

Oropesa, a Mexican national, was deported by ICE agents in Houston in 2009 after a U.S. immigration judge ordered his removal. CBS News has learned that after reentering the country, he was apprehended and deported several times over the next seven years. Oropesa has a prior conviction in Montgomery County, Texas, for driving while intoxicated, for which he was sentenced to time in jail.

Smith stated that the search has come to a halt and that authorities have “no idea” where he could be and “zero leads.” He stated that authorities are hoping that the large reward will serve as an incentive for anyone with information to come forward.

“We cannot continue down this road until we apprehend and arrest him,” he said. “We’re asking for everyone’s help in bringing this monster to justice.”

Capers went on to say that he had declined previous engagements, including a vigil for the boy killed in the shooting, because his “main intent and focus is 100 percent capturing this suspect.”

“My heart is with this… boy,” said Capers. “It doesn’t matter whether he was here legally or illegally; he was in my county.” Five people were killed in my county; that is where my heart is, protecting my people.”

The attack occurred near Cleveland, north of Houston, on a street where some residents claim neighbors frequently unwind by firing guns.

According to Capers, a confrontation erupted after neighbors approached the fence and asked the suspect to stop shooting rounds. According to Capers, the suspect responded by telling them that it was his property, and one person in the house recorded the suspect walking up to the front door with the rifle.

The victims have been identified as Sonia Guzman, 28, Diana Velasquez, 21, Obdulia Molina, 31, Jonathan Caceres, 18, and Daniel Enrique Lazo, 9. It’s unclear how they were related, but they all lived in the same house, according to CBS Houston affiliate KHOU.

Capers stated that there were ten people in the house, some of whom had just moved in earlier in the week, but no one else was hurt. According to him, two of the victims were discovered in a bedroom, laying over two children in an apparent attempt to protect them.

Three children were discovered covered in blood in their home and taken to a hospital, but they were unharmed, according to Capers. He stated on Sunday that the children were safe with family members.