The search for a man accused of shooting and killing five of his neighbors near Cleveland, Texas continued Sunday and authorities said they had few clues to where he might be.
Francisco Oropesa, 38, allegedly gunned down four adults and an 8-year-old boy late Friday night after they asked him to stop firing his weapon. Oropesa then fled and hasn't been seen since. Authorities in San Jacinto County, along with the FBI's Houston office, said Oropesa's trail had gone cold. On Sunday, they announced $80,000 in reward money is being offered for clues that lead to his arrest.
"I pretty much can guarantee that he's contacted some of his friends, we just don't know what friends they are," James Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Houston Field Office said. "And that's what we need from the public, is any type of information, because right now, we're running into dead ends."
Authorities say more than 200 law enforcement officers are going door-to-door in the rural community where the shootings took place, looking for clues in the case. The area where the shootings took place is heavily wooded and remote, with rough roads that lead to the neighborhood where Oropesa and the victims lived.
"It is my number one priority to find him, as it is everybody that is out here looking for him," San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said during a news briefing Sunday afternoon near the scene of the shootings.
Authorities say there were 16 people, reportedly from Honduras, living at the property where the shootings took place. They had asked Oropesa, who was reportedly intoxicated, to stop firing his rifle at around 11:30 Friday night because it was scaring a young child. That's when he allegedly opened fire on them before fleeing.
Later, authorities found his cell phone and weapon not far from the scene, but tracking dogs lost his scent near water.
"If anybody, whether you are here in this county, or the state of Texas, or around the country, have any tips, we're asking you to please call 1-800-FBI-TIPS," The FBI's James Smith said, "24/7 this phone line will be available if anyone has any information that could lead to the arrest of this subject."
Cleveland is a town of around 8,000 residents 45 miles northeast of Houston. The area where the shootings took place is in an unincorporated part of San Jacinto County.
