The manhunt for Francisco Oropesa, an illegal Mexican immigrant responsible for the shooting of five people, including an eight-year-old, came to an end on Tuesday. Authorities tracked Oropesa to a home in the city of Conroe, Texas where he was discovered hiding in a closet. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has records which show that Oropesa has been deported to Mexico multiple times following illegal re-entries.
According to the New York Post:
Alleged gunman Francisco Oropesa, 38, was arrested in the city of Conroe around 6:30 p.m., just 75 minutes after a tip came in that alerted law enforcement to the fugitive’s whereabouts, authorities said. The suspect, a Mexican national who’s reportedly been deported four times, was taken into custody without incident.
San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers called the suspect a “coward” in a Tuesday night press conference and said Oropesa was “caught hiding in a closet underneath some laundry.” He’s facing five counts of murder and will be transferred to the county jail, where he will be held on $5 million bond, Capers said.
FBI assistant special agent in charge Jimmy Paul said the tip leading to Oropesa’s capture came in through the federal agency’s tip line. The FBI received the tip around 5:15 p.m. and Oropesa was captured around 6:30 p.m., he said.
“We just want to thank the person who had the courage and bravery to call in the suspect’s location,” Paul said Tuesday.
There was an $80,000 reward for information that lead to the capture of Francisco Oropesa. Sheriff Capers said the money would all go to the individual provided the crucial call to authorities.
