Texas shooting suspect found under pile of laundry, sheriff says

The suspect in a Texas mass shooting that left five people dead was found hiding under a pile of laundry in a closet Tuesday night, a local sheriff said.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers confirmed to The Associated Press that authorities found Francisco Oropesa, 38, hiding in a house after a tip. The sheriff’s office said that Oropesa was captured on Tuesday evening near Conroe, Texas, which is about 20 miles away from Cleveland, Texas, where he allegedly shot and killed five of his neighbors using an AR-style rifle on April 28.

Capers said in a statement Oropesa was booked in Montgomery County Jail without incident, where he will be held on a $5 million bond and charged with five counts of murder.

“I cannot begin to express my sincere gratitude to all of my deputies, investigators, command staff, ancillary staff, as well as all of the law enforcement officials, agencies and divisions that provided aid and support during this manhunt. Thank you to all of the citizens that provided tips and support in this investigation,” Capers said in a statement.

The Associated Press reported that authorities also arrested Oropesa’s wife, Divimara Lamar Nava, on Wednesday. She reportedly denied any knowledge of Oropesa’s whereabouts, but authorities said she hid him in the home where he was arrested on Tuesday.

She is being held in Montgomery County jail and was charged with hindering the apprehension or prosecution of a known felon, the news service noted.

The arrest of Oropesa concluded a four-day manhunt involving more than 250 law enforcement officers. Local, state and federal authorities offered a combined reward of $80,000 for his arrest after saying they had “zero leads” on Oropesa’s whereabouts in the days after the shooting.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) initially said in a statement announcing the reward that the suspect and the victims were all “illegal immigrants,” sparking criticism. His office later retracted the statement, with aides saying they learned at least one of the victims may have been in the country legally.

Updated at 10:40 a.m.