TEXAS MASS SHOOTING: Authorities Say Additional Arrests Made After 4-Day Manhunt Ends With The Shooter’s Capture 

Credit: CNN

Authorities said on Wednesday that additional arrests have been made in connection to the shooting of at least five people in Cleveland, Texas.

The alleged gunman, Fransisco Oropesa, was caught in Conroe, Texas on Tuesday evening after a four-day manhunt. The FBI said that he was hiding in a laundry closet.

At a press conference early Wednesday morning, Lt. Timothy Kean, Eocene in command at the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, said that more arrests have been made.

Kean said he could not provide the exact amount, and he said that the amount is “fluid right now,” but not more than five.

“There have been several arrests, but I can’t go into the details on that,” Kean added Wednesday morning. 

“I’m not going to say his name. You guys know his name. He’s in this jail right here,” Kean said of Oropesa. “I don’t think he deserves the glory for what he’s done.” 

Fox News reported:

Kean also would not confirm whether Oropesa’s wife is among those arrested. 

The Associated Press, citing Montgomery County Sheriff Rand Henderson, reported that Divimara Lamar Nava, 53, the wife of Oropesa, is among those in custody in connection with the Friday night shooting. Fox News Digital confirmed that Nava and her booking photo are listed on the Montgomery County Jail roster as of Wednesday morning. 

When reached Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital in an email that no other information can be released at this time regarding the arrest of Oropesa, who is currently in the San Jacinto County Jail. While Nava is jailed in Montgomery County, the spokesperson declined to give further details and directed all questions regarding her arrest to the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Houston, which is leading the investigation. 

Oropesa’s bond is to be set at the jail by a judge later Wednesday morning. 

The bond is expected to be set at $5 million, as was determined by the judge who issued the initial warrant for murder.

“The people arrested are not telling us very much,” Kean said. 

“Anybody that helped this maniac is definitely got some kind of issues as far as I’m concerned.” 

Kean also defended law enforcement and their initial response on Friday.

The lieutenant explained that the initial calls came in for a man firing his rifle on his property. According to the authorities and survivors, a few people from the neighboring house asked him to stop since it was late and a 1-month-old baby was scared and trying to sleep. Kean said that another patrol unit was in the area on an aggravated robbery call.

“This is not a rich county. We’ve got three deputies on patrol to cover this entire county,” Kean said. “If you’re going from north county to Trails End, which is where this occurred at, it’s an hour’s drive. That’s with lights and sirens. We’ve got poor roads. We’re understaffed. And welcome to rural law enforcement. This is the way most of this nation is right now.” 

“They had to leave the aggravated robbery call, which is a serious call. You’ve got two bad things going on at once with one deputy to do it all,” Kean said. “The initial call on this was someone firing their gun in their yard. At that point, it wasn’t an attack. So the aggravated robbery trumps the guy shooting in the yard at the time. So he’s doing that call, and then that other call escalated. So we do what we can with what we have.”

“We have 32 sworn positions, and we’re about six short. We’ve got 28 jail positions, and we’re 11 short. So we’re missing half our jail staff. And if anybody wants a job, we’re hiring.” 

Oropesa, a Mexican national, is an illegal immigrant who has allegedly been deported five times.

The deceased victims were from Honduras, and at least some of them were also in the U.S. illegally. Those killed were identified as Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9.