The Mexican national accused of murdering five of his Texas neighbors, including a nine-year-old, could be executed for the offense.
Friday, a grand jury indicted Francisco Oropesa, 38, for capital murder for allegedly firing into his neighbors’ home after they asked him to stop firing his gun so near to their property because it was waking up their sleeping infant.
It is uncertain whether prosecutors will pursue the punishment. San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon told CNN, We have not decided if we will pursue the death penalty because the defense has not had the opportunity to present mitigating evidence for the state to consider.
Before making this determination, we will be careful to give them an opportunity to express their opinion.
CNN reports that the indictment was unavailable from the court clerk’s office on Friday.
In May, Oropesa was accused of the murders of Diana Velásquez Alvarado, age 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, age 31, Jose Jonathan Casarez, age 18, Sonia Argentina Guzman, age 25, and Daniel Enrique Laso, age 9.
Authorities claim the accused murderer was intoxicated when he violently opened fire on his victims with an AR-15-style rifle on April 28.
According to prosecutors, Oropesa fired indiscriminately at the 10 people inside the home, striking five of them, including the mother and 9-year-old sibling of the infant whose cries triggered the massacre.
According to witnesses, those murdered used their corpses as shields to defend the children in the home.
Francisco Oropesa Survived Due To Effort Of His Wife
The illegal immigrant, who had been deported from the United States four times prior to the homicides, fled the scene and remained at large for four days, prompting authorities to offer a $80,000 reward for his capture.
Oropesa survived due to the efforts of his 53-year-old wife, Divimara Lamar Nava, who allegedly delivered donuts to him at a hideout a few miles from the site of the mass shooting and assisted in coordinating an escape to Mexico.
The infant’s sibling and mother, Daniel Enrique Laso, 9, and Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, were both killed in the bloodbath. The scheme failed when authorities discovered Oropesa hiding in a double-wide trailer beneath a pile of laundry.
Authorities described the alleged mass shooter as a “coward” who executed his victims before fleeing.
Since then, he has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder and ordered to be detained on bonds totaling $7,500,000.
Source: New York Post