A Texas man says he called police five times during a mass shooting last week in Cleveland, which left five people dead and a suspect on the run.
Wilson Garcia, a surviving victim of the massacre, says the suspect, 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa, became “more threatening” during the incident, prompting Garcia and his to call police Friday night.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, multiple law enforcement agencies are working to locate Oropesa. Around 11:30 p.m. Friday, the Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting harassment at a residence in the town of Cleveland, about 50 miles north of Houston.
Deputies arrived at a horrific scene, with multiple people dead and others injured.
Garcia recalled the harrowing incident to CNN and how his wife was talking to the police on the phone as the suspect started to open fire. Wilson said prior to the shooting, he walked over to Oropresa with a friend and asked him to stop shooting his gun too close to their home, and suggested he shoot on the other side of his property.
Garcia said his 1-month-old baby was sleeping and the gunshots woke the infant up and scared him. According to Garcia, Opresa got agitated at the request and later walked to Garcia’s home, armed with a weapon.
“We saw him, he was leaving his property and cocked his gun,” the father said. “I told my wife to get inside because he cocked his gun and he might come threaten us. So my wife said, ‘You go inside, I don’t think he will fire at me because I’m a woman, I’ll stay here at the door.’”
“We walked inside and my wife was talking to the police, and we called five times because he was being more threatening.
“We saw him, he was leaving his property and cocked his gun. I told my wife to get inside because he cocked his gun and he might come threaten us. So my wife said, ‘You go inside, I don’t think he will fire at me because I’m a woman, I’ll stay here at the door.’”
There were 10 people inside the house at the time of the shooting, and some of the adults used their bodies to help protect children, including two women who were found “covered in blood” lying on top of three kids.
The deceased victims were identified as:
- Daniel Laso-Guzman, 9 (Garcia’s son)
- Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18
- Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21
- Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25 (Garcia’s wife)
- Julisa Molina Rivera, 31
“Two people who died were protecting my 2 1/2-year-old daughter and my 1-month-old son,” Garcia said. “They protected him with a bunch of clothing so the murderer wouldn’t kill him, too. So just imagine what we’re feeling now. It was horrible.”
San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said clothes and a phone connected with Oropesa were found in the woods, but tracking dogs lost the scent. He also said police have recovered the AR-15-style gun the suspect used in the shooting.
“We don’t know where he is. We have zero leads,” Capers said.
The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for the suspect’s capture, while Crime Stoppers is offering $5,000, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott is offering $50,000 in state funds.
Here are the newest images of Francisco Oropesa and a prominent tattoo on his left forearm.
Going forward, the subject's last name will be spelled "Oropesa" to better reflect his identity in law enforcement systems. This remains a fluid investigation. #ClevelandTXShooting pic.twitter.com/ZWUu0FqoMF
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) April 30, 2023
To report information about Oropesa’s whereabouts, contact the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office at 936-653-4367.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode below.
[Feature Photo: Daniel Laso/Family Handout; Francisco Oropesa/San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office]
