San Jacinto County neighbors call for sheriff's resignation following AP report on mass shooting
COLDSPRING, Texas (KTRK) -- Some San Jacinto County neighbors are calling for the sheriff to resign, while county leaders said an investigation conducted by the Associated Press could lead to a discussion this week.
Dale Tiller always believed something wasn't right when the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office talked about how it handled a mass shooting near his home.
"It makes you feel like you have no hope or no help, and you want to do something about it," Tiller said. "That's why I've been so vocal and so mad about what transpired."
Five people were shot and killed in April, according to prosecutors. Sheriff Greg Capers told the Associated Press it took deputies 11 minutes to respond.
The second in command told ABC13 a different number.
"We had a timeline on that, and I think it's around 14 minutes," Chief Deputy Tim Kean said after the suspect, Francisco Oropeza, was caught.
Now, the AP said call logs show it took 42 minutes after the first call about gunfire was received. By the time deputies arrived, five people were dead, and Oropeza took off.
It took four days and a massive manhunt to locate him.
READ MORE: Francisco Oropesa captured, looking at 5 counts of murder and $5M bond
"It makes me mad," Tiller said. "I knew he was dancing around it to make himself look good when the issue transpired."
The AP also learned the mass shooting suspect wasn't a stranger to deputies. They responded to Oropeza's home three other times, including once for abusing his wife. Deputies say he wasn't arrested because his wife didn't want to press charges.
While they investigated that incident, the AP said a report conducted a year before the mass shooting revealed deputies failed to follow up on 4,000 other incidents.
"You disgust me," Tiller said. "You portray yourself as a good ole boy sheriff, but there's nothing good about you. I don't want you as sheriff no more. You need to resign."
Commissioners meet on Wednesday. The county judge wouldn't comment on the investigation.
However, Commissioner Laddie McAnally told ABC13 it's possible the matter is discussed in an executive session. He wants to see more information before calling for any action.
Tiller said he's seen enough.
"It could be my family. It could be my neighbor. It could be my friend. It could be anybody, and I don't want to see that type of tragedy happen to anybody else," Tiller explained.
Deputies said after Oropeza's arrest, the slower response times are tied to poor staffing, bad roads, and a large county.
Eyewitness News has tried to reach Capers for two days. On Monday, he wouldn't return texts. ABC13 crews went inside the sheriff's office and were told he wasn't there.
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SEE RELATED: San Jacinto Co. deputies arrived 4 times longer to mass shooting than sheriff's report, AP says
