The gunman who is facing charges for the murder of five residents in San Jacinto County earlier this year has officially entered a not-guilty plea.
Francisco Oropeza, 38, is charged with capital murder for allegedly killing his neighbors Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18, and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9.
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For the hearing, security measurements were reportedly extremely tight as he made his way to the courtroom under heavy cover of law enforcement officers. The officers surrounded him as he stood in front of the Judge in the 411th District Court to be arraigned on two of the murders.
During the hearing, Oropeza’s attorney asked for the GPS locations of the patrol units on the night of the murders and all 911 recordings and radio traffic recordings.
According to authorities, Oropeza had been shooting his rifle in his yard on April 28, 2023, when a neighbor asked him if he could stop because they had a baby who was trying to sleep inside.
The sheriff’s office said the suspect told the victims he would do what he wanted to do.
Moments later, it is believed that Oropeza went into the family’s home in Cleveland, Texas, and opened fire, killing multiple people.
After a dayslong manhunt, Oropeza was located and arrested in the city of Cut and Shoot, Texas. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said the suspect was found inside a home, hiding in the closet under a pile of clothes.
Oropeza’s next hearing is scheduled for December 7, 2023.
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