Photo: FBI
Authorities said a man accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbors, including an 8-year-old child, "could be anywhere" amid an ongoing manhunt, according to NBC News.
Francisco Oropesa, 38, was reported to be armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic black rifle during the incident at a home in Cleveland, Texas, on Friday (April 28) at around 11:30 p.m., the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office said. Authorities believed they were within a 2-mile or so radius of Oropesa on Saturday (April 29) but said he may have evaded the search after they located his cellphone and clothing.
"He could be anywhere now," San Jacinto Sheriff Greg Capers said during a press conference Saturday afternoon.
James Smith, who leads the FBI's Houston-area office, urged residents to immediately call 911 if they spot Oropesa.
"We consider him armed and dangerous," he said. "He is out there, and he's a threat to the community."
The victims killed during the incident were publicly identified by Capers as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 8, all of whom were from Honduras. Authorities seized the rifle used during the incident, but Oropesa is believed to possibly still be armed with a handgun amid the ongoing search.