TX - Five dead, including 8 yr old, in Cleveland home, suspect armed with AR-15 style rifle, active investigation, 28 Apr 2023

[jjenny]

Some new photos of the suspect. HIs appearance is completely unremarkable. He will easily blend in if he is in Mexico.
Apparently he has a large tattoo on his forearm.

What we know about the man accused of killing 5 people in San Jacinto County

A manhunt for 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa continues. He's accused of killing five people "almost execution-style" after being confronted by neighbors.

www.khou.com

 

[housewife]

“We know him by name, date of birth. We’ve got his Mexican consulate card. Plus, there was a ring doorbell on the victim’s house that we actually captured him coming up to the front door with with the weapon,” Capers said. Capers said they have had previous calls to Oropeza’s home regarding him shooting his rifle in the yard.

“I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had a call out here, but we have researched a little bit of that. And we have found some prior history at these residence,” he said.

Capers said Oropeza had an AR15 style rifle along with at least two other weapons found inside his home. He also said they are interviewing Oropeza’s wife.

According to DPS records, Oropeza does have an arrest for DWI in 2009.

Who is Francisco Oropesa? What we know about suspect accused of 5 murders in San Jacinto County

A mass shooting in San Jacinto County overnight Friday ended with five dead including a 9-year-old and the suspect is believed to be the next-door neighbor of the victims.

www.click2houston.com

“A few months ago, Arevalo said Oropeza threatened to kill his dog after it got loose in the neighborhood and chased the pit bull in his truck.

“I tell my wife all the time, ‘Stay away from the neighbors. Don’t argue with them. You never know how they're going to react,'” Arevalo said. “I tell her that because Texas is a state where you don't know who has a gun and who is going to react that way.”

Sounds like your average controlling male who can’t cope with his anger and yet has access to a gun. His behavior with the dog tells me this guy will lash out at anyone indiscriminately who angers him. Coupled with what he said when asked to be quiet: “I’ll do what I want to in my front yard.”

How did this guy obtain a killing tool? And why did police not take any action each time they were previously called to his house? Wasn’t he causing a disturbance by firing in a residential area? Did the police check his firearm registration each time they warned him about shooting in his yard?

I am also afraid for his wife, as usual.

Edit: link fixed

 

[housewife]

Quite possibly.

Then again, there might have been mixed motives to the shooting centered on who told him what to do.

The apparent perpetrator is Mexican. The victims are Honduran. Hispanics as a group have the same propensity for ethnic and racial prejudice as any other group of humans.

Not every Mexican views Hondurans and Guatemalans as equals. The fact that Guatemalans can be prone to have indigenous background- or be fully indigenous and some Hondurans have black features does not help. The victims appeared to have regular Hispanic 'metizo' features. But, they were still Hondurans.

The possibility of bias as an additional motive is pure speculation on my part. In the end, however, ability in Spanish coupled with living in an overwhelmingly Hispanic area while being white has allowed me to be a "fly on the wall" on occasions.

Not everything I have heard in Spanish about the increasing number of Hondurans in my area as been warm and welcoming- to say the least. The fact that recent Honduran arrivals, like any recent immigrants, are willing to do "more for less" employment wise might not help the situation either.

The shooter was living next to the same Honduran neighbors for three years already.

“Garcia said he never had a problem with Oropeza, even after moving here three years ago. "I never had a problem with him. I can't believe what he did," Garcia said.”

IMHO I’m speculating race wasn’t the catalyst for his violent actions towards his neighbors on that particular day IMHO.

 

[housewife]

Moo..I wonder if it will be charged as a hate crime. As cryptic says above, hate crimes are very varied in who and why are hated..or seen as being inferior....moo

If and when this guy is captured (hopefully soon!) are you concerned that his sentence won’t be long enough based on the murders alone? I also think he should be put away forever.

 

[MrsWatson]

How did this guy obtain a killing tool? And why did police not take any action each time they were previously called to his house? Wasn’t he causing a disturbance by firing in a residential area? Did the police check his firearm registration each time they warned him about shooting in his yard?

Texas doesn't require a permit or registering a gun, with a few exceptions.

Guides: Gun Laws: Registration & Records

This guide provides information on Texas and federal gun laws including: background checks, open carry, concealed carry, handgun licenses, restrictions for felons, and local regulation of firearms and shooting ranges.

guides.sll.texas.gov

 

[jjenny]

Reward offered.

'We do not know where he is' | $80,000 reward for info leading to arrest of San Jacinto County shooting suspect

In a new conference on Sunday, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers and Agent Smith with the FBI announced the increased reward.

www.khou.com

 

[MrsWatson]

I wonder if he has self-harmed after taking off and not been found yet?

 

[jjenny]

I wonder if he has self-harmed after taking off and not been found yet?

I wouldn't count on it.

 

[jjenny]

Zero leads on his whereabouts. If I were them, I would start looking in Mexico.

MSN

 

[Stunned]

The shooter was living next to the same Honduran neighbors for three years already.

“Garcia said he never had a problem with Oropeza, even after moving here three years ago. "I never had a problem with him. I can't believe what he did," Garcia said.”

IMHO I’m speculating race wasn’t the catalyst for his violent actions towards his neighbors on that particular day IMHO.

Race could very well be a factor. I was talking to a good friend who was born and raised in Mexico last weekend about this. We were discussing the border crisis on the Mexican side, she was saying there is a great deal of animosity between the Mexicans, Hondurans and Guatemalans who get political asylum. And it can extend to bad feelings over here. IMO

 

[Cryptic]

well I don't see how this guy is just leaving a cold trail.

Images of Texas tend to portray the 85% of the state that is dry with trees being few and far between.

"Deep East Texas", however, is heavily forested and has vast tracts of privately owned timber, National Forests and the Big Thicket National Preserve. If the dogs lost the scent, finding him in the forests is going to be very difficult, especially if he stays out of clear cut areas.

Then factor in that "Blood is thicker than water". Oropeza may have relatives in the area who could give him a ride to Houston etc. A ride is a ride- even if the relative's intent was simply to get rid of Oropeza to prevent being asked for more favors.

 

[shotgun09]

Who is Francisco Oropesa? What we know about suspect accused of 5 murders in San Jacinto County

A mass shooting in San Jacinto County overnight Friday ended with five dead including a 9-year-old and the suspect is believed to be the next-door neighbor of the victims.

www.click2houston.com

 

[jjenny]

Images of Texas tend to portray the 85% of the state that is dry with trees being few and far between.

"Deep East Texas", however, is heavily forested and has vast tracts of privately owned timber, National Forests and the Big Thicket National Preserve. If the dogs lost the scent, finding him in the forests is going to be very difficult, especially if he stays out of clear cut areas.

Then factor in that "Blood is thicker than water". Oropeza may have relatives in the area who could give him a ride to Houston etc. A ride is a ride- even if the relative's intent was simply to get rid of Oropeza to prevent being asked for more favors.

There is only five hours drive from Cleveland TX to Mexico. If this guy has access to transportation he is already there. If somebody gave him a ride I don't think Houston is where they would be heading. If nobody gave him a ride voluntarily he sill could have carjacked someone and gotten a ride that way. Right now I would be checking if anybody with a car went missing around that area.

 

[tara83]

I don't see race as having anything to do with this.Clearly this guy was an angry person hostile to everyone.<modsnip - general gun purchase comments belong on the thread dedicated to that>

 

[jjenny]

I don't see race as having anything to do with this.Clearly this guy was an angry person hostile to everyone.<modsnip - general gun purchase comments belong on the thread dedicated to that>

I tend to agree. He sounds like an angry individual with a violent temper and a large number of weapons. Not a good combination.

 

[Stunned]

I don't see race as having anything to do with this.Clearly this guy was an angry person hostile to everyone.And in the great old USA anyone can get a gun.

I tend to agree. He sounds like an angry individual with a violent temper and a large number of weapons. Not a good combination.

I agree with both of you. I put that out there as I felt it could be underlying, that’s all. But you’re both probably correct.

 

[Cryptic]

I don't see race as having anything to do with this.Clearly this guy was an angry person hostile to everyone.

A possible secondary motive would not be race- both Oropeza and the victims are of the same "race".

A certain number of crimes, including rampage shootings do not have a single motive. Rather, many motives can "snowball" with some perpetrators.

Snowballing factors (teen's race) could have aggravated situation leading to the elderly Michigan man shooting a black teen who knocked on his door at night.

When applied to this case, snowballing factors could be: An inherently angry person and intoxicated, and.... being asked to do something by a member of an "inferior" ethnic group.

 

[jnTexas]

“A few months ago, Arevalo said Oropeza threatened to kill his dog after it got loose in the neighborhood and chased the pit bull in his truck.

“I tell my wife all the time, ‘Stay away from the neighbors. Don’t argue with them. You never know how they're going to react,'” Arevalo said. “I tell her that because Texas is a state where you don't know who has a gun and who is going to react that way.”

Sounds like your average controlling male who can’t cope with his anger and yet has access to a gun. His behavior with the dog tells me this guy will lash out at anyone indiscriminately who angers him. Coupled with what he said when asked to be quiet: “I’ll do what I want to in my front yard.”

How did this guy obtain a killing tool? And why did police not take any action each time they were previously called to his house? Wasn’t he causing a disturbance by firing in a residential area? Did the police check his firearm registration each time they warned him about shooting in his yard?

I am also afraid for his wife, as usual.

Edit: link fixed

Considering he was in the country illegally and deported 5 times, he also most likely obtained the firearm illegally. As Tx does require a background check and you must be a citizen to purchase.

 

[Marysmith]

Considering he was in the country illegally and deported 5 times, he also most likely obtained the firearm illegally. As Tx does require a background check and you must be a citizen to purchase.

LE confirmed they had been out there for previous reports regarding the suspect and no permit was checked - as obviously he didn’t have one. Unbelievable!

FBI joins manhunt for Texas man who is on the run after mass murder

Francisco Oropeza, 38, who allegedly gunned down five people, including an eight-year-old, after being asked to stop shooting his AR-15 is on the run as police admit he 'could be anywhere.'

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[jnTexas]

We live within 10 minutes of this neighborhood. It is rural out here with a lot of woods in the area and the Sam Houston National forest is back behind this area. They located his cellphone and some clothes in the woods. My opinion he most likely contacted someone for a ride with a meeting location, left the phone and met up with his ride. It feels like the FBI has dropped the ball here, they posted the wrong photo of an innocent man and have had the last name spelled wrong. Makes me wonder what else they have missed. Per Fox news he's was deported 5 times in the past, he's most likely across the border by now. It's very unnerving with this so close to my home.