A 38-year-old Texas man was arrested on Tuesday and charged with five counts of murder after allegedly conducting a mass shooting on Friday. According to CNN, the man fatally shot five of his neighbors after being asked to stop firing his rifle near one of their homes.
#1
More Details About The Shooting Suspect & His Charges
According to CNN, the suspect has been identified as Francisco Oropesa, and he was read his murder charges on Wednesday.
Oropesa’s bond was set at $1.5 million for each count, which brought about a total bond of $7.5 million.
According to the outlet, the suspect remained at the Texas jail on Wednesday, and paperwork has been filed for him to receive a lawyer.
Furthermore, the outlet reports that Oropesa’s charges could be upgraded to capital murder which offers a death penalty offense in the state of Texas.
#2
Additional Persons Were Arrested For Allegedly Aiding The Suspect With Evading Police
According to CNN, Oropesa’s longtime partner Divimara Lamar Nava appeared to be assisting authorities with locating the suspect after Friday’s shooting. However, it was discovered that the woman was actually helping Oropesa evade arrest.
San Jacinto County Criminal District Attorney Todd Dillon explained further.
The woman has been charged with “hindering apprehension or prosecution of a known felon,” which is a “third-degree felony,” according to the outlet.
In addition to Francisco Oropeza, who is accused of killing five people on Friday night in San Jacinto County, several others were arrested. His domestic partner, Divimara Lamar Nava, was arrested Tuesday for hindering apprehension of a felon. https://t.co/jqIBlEMHoD pic.twitter.com/HtFP6HAkNI
— Mycah Hatfield (@MycahABC13) May 3, 2023
“Ms. Nava appeared to be cooperating up until the time that we arrested her… what we believe that Ms. Nava was doing is that she was providing him with material aid and encouragement, food, clothes, and had arranged transport to this house.”
On Tuesday, the woman was arrested at the exact location where Oropesa was found hidden in a closet under a pile of laundry. Additionally, the location is a 20-minute drive from where the shooting took place.
It remains to be seen if the woman has retained an attorney and when her initial court appearance will be scheduled.
According to the outlet, public records suggest Oropesa and the woman were unmarried. However, it appears they were “living together as husband and wife.”
Furthermore, there has been a second person accused of assisting Oropesa. The man has been identified as Domingo Castilla and booked into the San Jacinto County jail.
#3
More Details About The Shooting That Claimed The Lives Of 5 People
According to CNN, Oropesa has been accused of shooting five of his neighbors after one made a noise complaint about him firing his rifle.
The victims include Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, and her son Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, 9 — the Guzmans are the wife and son of the neighbor who initially complained to Oropesa. Furthermore, the victims also include Diana Velázquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; and José Jonathan Cásarez, 18.
According to the outlet, the victims were killed “almost execution style.” The County Justice of the Peace, Randy Ellisor, shared a statement explaining the severity of the shooting.
“This by far the worst case that I’m personally familiar with. It’s a sad commentary on the human society.”
Additionally, local authorities have come under criticism for their response time regarding the shooting. According to the outlet, an “estimated 10 to 20 minutes” passed between when the first 911 call was made and when officials arrived.
However, officials have defended their response time, noting that the shooting occurred in a rural area that is difficult to travel to and from. Authorities also explained that when they received the 911 call, they were also responding to an aggravated robbery which took precedence over “the guy shooting in the yard at the time.”
Furthermore, the authorities explained that they are understaffed.
“We do what we can with what we have.”
Francisco Oropesa’s next court appearance will reportedly be scheduled after he is indicted, as reported by CNN.
