Several more arrests have been made following the high-profile capture of Francisco Oropesa, the man accused of killing five of his neighbors in their Texas home, as his bond is expected to be set at $5 million, officials said Wednesday morning.
Chief Deputy Tim Kean of the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Office didn’t specify how many people were arrested in connection with the case, but said it was fewer than five.
A person with Oropesa’s wife’s name was listed as being in custody at the Montgomery County Jail as of early Wednesday. That individual was arrested just before 3 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET) on a charge of hindering apprehension/prosecution of a known felon, records showed.
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Speaking in front of the jail early Wednesday, Kean said more arrests are likely, saying, “others are hinging on what’s going on right now.”
He said that Oroposa’s demeanor was “calm” and that he’s “probably in this jail right now having a hot breakfast.”
Oropesa, 38, was arrested in the city of Cut and Shoot on Tuesday evening, ending a four-day manhunt.
A tip led authorities to a house less than 20 miles from the site of the Friday shooting in Cleveland, Texas, and he was found hiding in a closet underneath laundry, officials said Tuesday night.
There wasn’t a major confrontation during his arrest, Kean said, but that there was “a little simple flurry of resistance” before he was taken in. There were no injuries.
He said it’s not believed that Oropesa had been hiding out in the home where he was found for all four days. Officials have not disclosed his path on the run.
Speaking about the house where he was found, Kean said: “I believe he thought he was in a safe spot.”
Kean also said that officials may have the weapon used in the mass shooting, pending ballistics testing for confirmation.
San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Tuesday the suspect will be charged with five counts of murder in connection with the Friday shooting in which he killed five people — including a 9-year-old boy — after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his rifle because an infant was trying to sleep, officials have said.
Oropesa’s bond was expected to be set Wednesday, Kean said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
