Francisco Oropeza, Who Shot And Killed 5 Of His Neighbours Has Been Indicted


A man accused of fatally shooting five people in a disturbing incident, where he allegedly refused to stop firing his AR-style rifle has been indicted for capital murder in San Jacinto, Texas, according to The Associated Press and local reports.

The defendant, Francisco Oropeza, 38, was reportedly shooting on his property on the night of April 28,2023 when neighbors asked him to stop due to a baby trying to sleep. However, Oropeza allegedly ignored their requests, insisting that he had the right to do as he pleased on his own property, as stated by Wilson Garcia.

Approximately twenty minutes later, Oropeza allegedly approached his neighbor's driveway with his rifle. The first victim, Sonia Argentina Guzmán Taibot, 28, Garcia's wife, was allegedly shot and killed by Oropeza. The suspect then proceeded to take the lives of four others, including a child: Daniel Enrique Lazo Guzmán, 9; Josué Jonatan Cáceres, 18; Diana Velasquez Alvarado, 21; and Obdulia Molina Rivera, 31.

The Victims (Source KHOU 11 News)

At the time of the incident, there were reportedly fifteen people present at the residence, some of whom were friends of Guzmán gathered for a church retreat. Garcia expressed the belief that Oropeza had intentions to harm everyone at the home.

Following the shooting, Oropeza, a Mexican national who had reportedly been deported multiple times before, managed to evade authorities for four days. Eventually, law enforcement located him hiding under laundry in a closet at his aunt's house. 

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers provided this information and also revealed that Oropeza's domestic partner, Divimara Lamar Nava, 52, and friend Domingo Castilla-Castillo are accused of aiding him in his escape.

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