5:42 AM PT — San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers held a press conference Tuesday night and provided new information on the arrest of Francisco Oropeza. Capers said police found Oropeza cowering under a pile of laundry in a closet after the FBI got a tip on his whereabouts. Oropeza was hiding out inside a home allegedly tied to one of his relatives in Conroe, TX, — just miles from the scene of the massacre.
Videos have surfaced online, which show investigators escorting Oropeza in handcuffs away from the house. In another clip, a shirtless Oropeza can be seen in the passenger seat of a police SUV as several cops keep their eyes on him. Oropeza’s wife has also been arrested.
The man accused of shooting five of his neighbors “execution-style” in Texas has been apprehended after a nationwide manhunt.
Senior law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Francisco Oropeza was taken into custody Tuesday by law enforcement.
Remember … Oropeza is accused of shooting his neighbors Friday night in Cleveland, Texas after they complained about him firing off rounds for target practice on his property.
Oropeza’s alleged rampage killed 5 people in the home next to his … including an 8-year-old child. Cops say he was intoxicated on alcohol and/or drugs and used an AR-15-style rifle in the slayings.
Police say Oropeza was shooting his rifle in his yard late Friday night when his neighbors walked up to the fence dividing their properties and asked him to stop shooting his gun because their baby was trying to sleep.
Cops say Oropez grew annoyed, telling his neighbors … “I’ll do what I want to in my front yard.” Police say he then marched over to the neighbor’s house, went inside and started shooting.
There were at least 10 people inside the home when Oropeza opened fire, police said, and most were killed at super close range and from the neck up.
Oropeza was reportedly caught on a Ring doorbell camera entering the home … and 3 kids were discovered without physical injuries inside the house. They were found drenched in blood in what was sure to be a traumatic experience. The women who were killed were using their bodies to shield the kids.
A Texas judge issued an arrest warrant for Oropeza after the shootings, and he went on the run. Investigators thought he may have fled the country, and the FBI joined police in a manhunt.
The firearm Oropeza allegedly used in the deadly rampage has since been recovered … along with some of his clothes and his cell phone.
Story developing …
