Death penalty sought for San Jacinto County suspect Francisco Oropeza in April's mass shooting
The man is accused of killing five of his neighbors who reportedly asked him to stop firing his rifle because a baby was sleeping.
SAN JACINTO COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The San Jacinto County man accused of shooting and killing five of his neighbors in April appeared in court on Thursday and might be facing the death penalty.
Francisco Oropeza was indicted on capital murder for a shooting that killed 9-year-old Daniel Enrique Lazo Guzmán, 21-year-old Diana Velasquez Alvarado, 31-year-old Obdulia Molina Rivera, 25-year-old Sonia Argentina Guzmán Taibot, and 18-year-old Josué Jonatan Cáceres.
Prosecutors on Thursday notified Oropeza's defense team that they will be seeking the death penalty.
The shooting happened in the rural town of Cleveland, about 45 miles north of Houston, on April 28. Oropeza allegedly stormed into his neighbors' house that day after being asked by them to stop firing his AR-style rifle because a baby was trying to sleep.
All five victims were from Honduras.
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Authorities say Oropeza fled the neighborhood after the shooting. He was taken into custody after a massive, nearly four-day manhunt.
Oropeza formally entered a not-guilty plea in August, with his lawyers saying there was more to the case.
His lawyers claimed Oropeza wasn't just asked to stay quiet because the baby was sleeping but rather tormented and screamed at by one of the victims.
The defense attorneys added there was bad blood between the families in the past - with one instance where the victims' family dog allegedly killed Oropeza's chickens.
Defense attorneys also said the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office's response time would be integral in the case. The sheriff said his deputies arrived in 11 minutes, but an Associated Press investigation revealed it actually took them over 40 minutes to arrive.
The case was reset to April 18.
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