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
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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.
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Neighbour of Francisco Oropesa says she bought a gun after shooting
A neighbour of the suspected Cleveland, Texas shooter, Francisco Oropesa, told NBC News she bought a gun after last Friday’s mass shooting.
The neighbour, who asked only to be identified by her first name, Vanessa, said that her father used to shoot guns and drink with Mr Oropesa and “figured out” that Mr Oropesa was “not a good person.”
“And I’m glad he did, because what if it was us?” Vanessa said.
The neighbour also said she was not surprised Mr Oropesa managed to avoid law enforcement because he avoided police when being served with an alleged protective order last year
“He was hiding from the police that time, too,” she said.
Mystery tipster led authorities to suspect
The wife of accused mass shooter Francisco Oropesa is among the individuals arrested in connection to his capture, it has been confirmed.
The San Jacinto County sheriff told the Associated Press that Mr Oropesa’s partner was taken into custody following his capture in Cut and Shoot on Tuesday.
Earlier in the investigation, authorities said that Mr Oropesa’s partner was in “constant contact” with investigators trying to track him down.
On Tuesday, officials carried out surveillance on her and located Mr Oropesa hiding in a closet at a home connected to a family member.
Alleged Texas shooter’s partner brought him doughnuts and plotted escape to Mexico while he was on the run
While the suspected Cleveland, Texas, shooter Francisco Oropesa was hiding from authorities, his partner Divimara Lamar Nava was bringing him doughnuts and plotting their escape, all while seeming to cooperate with police, according to authorities.
Ariana Baio reports:
Alleged Texas shooter’s partner brought him doughnuts while he was on the run
“Several” other people were reportedly arrested in connection to Mr Oropesa’s run from authorities
Suspect was not hiding at home the entire time
Suspected shooter Francisco Oropesa was not hiding at the home in Cut and Shoot the entire time he was on the run, according to authorities.
Mr Oropesa had been at large since Friday night when he allegedly shot dead five neighbours in Cleveland, Texas.
A huge manhunt was launched to find him.
It is not clear where the suspect was hiding prior to Tuesday’s capture.
On Tuesday, he was tracked down to a home tied to a family member. He was found hiding under a pile of laundry in a closet.
Suspected shooter was allegedly planning escape to Mexico
Suspected Cleveland shooter Francisco Oropesa was allegedly trying to flee to Mexico, according to a prosecutor.
During Mr Oropesa’s partner’s arraignment hearing, a prosecutor said Mr Oropesa asked his partner, Divimara Lamar Nava, to contact his cousins in the area to see if they could arrange for him to flee to Mexico, his native country.
However, the cousins refused to help.
ICYMI: Texas shooting suspect found hiding in closet under laundry days after five killed over noise complaint
The gunman accused of shooting dead five neighbours in Texas after they made a noise complaint against him has been captured hiding in a closet under laundry after four days on the run.
Francisco Oropesa, 38, was arrested in the city of Cut and Shoot, Texas, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Tuesday evening.
Graeme Massie reports:
Texas shooting suspect found hiding in closet under laundry days after five killed
Francisco Oropesa, 38, was arrested in the city of Cut and Shoot, Texas, after being on run since Friday night
Why Greg Abbott’s response to the latest Texas mass shooting shouldn’t come as a surprise
When five people were shot dead in their home over a noise complaint, Greg Abbott labelled the victims ‘illegal immigrants’. True to form with past shootings in his state, he made no mention of the role his own lax gun laws may have played.
Rachel Sharp reports:
Greg Abbott’s response to the latest Texas mass shooting shouldn’t come as a surprise
When five people were shot dead in their home over a noise complaint, Greg Abbott labelled the victims ‘illegal immigrants’. True to form with past shootings in his state, he made no mention of the role his own lax gun laws may have played. Rachel Sharp reports
Authorities increase Francisco Oropesa’s bond
The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday evening they would be increasing suspected shooter Francisco Oropesa’s bond from $5m to $7.5m.
Greg Abbott forced to walk back ‘illegal immigrants’ comment about Texas shooting victims
Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office walked back on the language used in a statement about the immigration status of victims in the Cleveland, Texas mass shooting.
Spokesperson Renae Eze said in a statement provided to The Independent that the governor’s office regrets if the information they provided was “incorrect” or “detracted from the important goal of finding and arresting the criminal.”
Ariana Baio reports:
Greg Abbott forced to walk back ‘illegal immigrants’ comment about shooting victims
Mr Abbott previously referred to five victims of a mass shooting as “illegal immigrants”