SAN JACINTO COUNTY, Texas — Lock your doors and stay alert. That's the message, right now from authorities in San Jacinto County as hundreds of law enforcement officers continue to search for a suspected killer.
The manhunt for Francisco Oropeza continued Tuesday after he allegedly killed five people with a rifle in a mass shooting late Friday night.
The US Marshals announced that they were adding $20,000 to the reward for information that leads to his capture, bringing the total reward money to $100,000. Anyone with information can call the Marshals at 1-877-WANTED2. Tips can also be submitted through the USMS app.
FBI officials told KHOU 11 reporter Michelle Choi on Tuesday they don't have an update. However, they said they were following up on every single tip and will leave “no stone unturned.”
They admitted Oropeza could be anywhere and said law enforcement organizations nationwide are on the lookout for him.
CNN reports that the U.S. Border Patrol was briefed to look out for Oropeza making a run to Mexico. The 38-year-old suspect is a Mexican national with a history of deportations.
The FBI tweeted Tuesday afternoon that digital billboards with Oropeza's mug shot went up across the Houston area, courtesy of Clear Channel Outdoor.
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The White House press secretary said President Joe Biden was briefed about the search.
There were several potential sightings of Oropeza on Monday, but there was no official sign of him.
Officials have not been providing any in-person updates to the media for two days despite KHOU 11 News’ requests. Instead, authorities posted updates via the FBI Houston's Twitter page.
What we know about the manhunt for Francisco Oropeza
- There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state would be providing $50,000. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said multi-county Crime Stoppers was pitching in $5,000. The FBI announced that it was putting in another $25,000 and the US Marshals put in $20,000 to get the total to $100,000.
- Roughly 250 law enforcement officers are searching through the area to help find Oropeza. State troopers and the FBI are also involved in the search.
- Authorities were spotted searching a landfill on Highway 105 Monday afternoon after an employee said they spotted a man walking near the wood line that might be Oropeza. The sheriff's office in Montgomery County said everyone was "investigated, and none were found to be Oropeza."
- Later Monday, MCSO tweeted saying they got another tip and several campuses were secured while they searched for Oropeza in the area of Crockett Martin and FM 2090. However, they did not find him.
- Investigators confirmed they found Oropeza's phone, abandoned clothes and the gun they believed he used in the shooting. However, they have not released the location at which those items were found.
- The heavy fog Tuesday morning made searching the wooded areas in Montgomery County more difficult for law enforcement.
- Authorities are also asking residents to check their surveillance cameras to see if they might have captured any images of the accused killer.
New images of Francisco Oropeza released
New images were released on Sunday of the 38-year-old gunman after the FBI mistakenly sent out the wrong image of Oropeza. They also said he has a prominent tattoo on his forearm and he's considered to be armed and dangerous.
They also said for law enforcement purposes, they would spell his name as "Oropesa" because he has a criminal history under that name.
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- Man who lost his wife and son in San Jacinto County shootings talks about how he got out alive
Who is Francisco Oropeza?
Neighbors of Oropeza said it's not uncommon to hear gunshots in the area, but that they never expected something like this.
"There's a lot of people here that like to shoot guns," Eric Calderon said. "It was just a matter of time before something like this happens, I guess."
Even though there was a history of calls to law enforcement at Oropeza's home, residents said they were familiar with him and his wife. They described him as someone who would occasionally wave but usually kept to himself.
"I can't believe it. It's hard," another neighbor said. "To think about those people dead and their families. More than anything, their families...their babies."
Police recovered the AR-15-style rifle that they said Oropeza used in the shootings. Authorities were not sure if Oropeza was carrying another weapon after others were found in his home.
Tuesday morning, KHOU 11 reporter Michelle Choi spoke with a woman who works at a nearby business in San Jacinto County. She is afraid of possible retaliation so didn't want to be identified but she knows Oropeza.
She said he has lived in this area for at least three years, working as a local handyman and working on her home as well. She told KHOU 11 News he's a father to a young boy and married.
While Oropeza's known to be a heavy drinker, she's shocked he’s accused of killing five of his neighbors.
“He was never aggressive; he was a normal person we would talk with him," she said in Spanish. "My family is really surprised because we don't understand what made him do this, why he acted that way."
Editor's note: The FBI changed the spelling of the suspect's last name from Oropeza, saying on Twitter, "Going forward, the subject's last name will be spelled "Oropesa" to better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems." We will continue to spell it as Oropeza for the sake of consistency.
Who are the San Jacinto County shooting victims?
Officials identified the victims Saturday afternoon as the following:
- Sonia Guzmán, 28
- Diana Velásquez, 21
- Obdulia Molina, 31
- Jonathan Cáceres, 18
- Daniel Enrique Lazo, 9
Editor's note: Officials initially said Daniel was 8. There have been discrepancies in the spelling and ages of the victims. We are using names and ages supplied to us by the Honduran government on Monday, May 1. Previous reporting used spelling and ages supplied earlier in the investigation by the Houston office of the FBI.
Daniel was a third-grader at Northside Elementary. A vigil was held on campus Sunday night before classes resumed on Monday.
Daniel's father, Wilson Garcia, lost his son and wife in the shooting.
"My wife died and so did my 9-year-old son. What can I say, I am trying to stay strong for my children. My daughter kind of understands things. It's hard when she comes to me and starts asking for her mom and her brother," Garcia said.
He was in the house at the time of the shootings but was able to get out when a woman warned him and told him to save himself.
"She told me to throw myself out of the window because my children were already without a mother," Garcia said.
Garcia described the terrifying efforts inside his home by friends and family that night to escape, hide and shield themselves and children after Oropeza walked up to the home and began firing, killing his wife first at the front door.
Cleveland ISD said crisis counseling will be offered as needed.