Photo: FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation officials said they have "zero leads" in their manhunt of a suspect accused of killing five of his neighbors, including an 8-year-old, in Cleveland, Texas last week.
“I can tell you right now, we have zero leads,” said James Smith, who leads the FBI's Houston-area office, via the Hill.
Francisco Oropesa, 38, was reported to be armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic black rifle during the incident at a home in Cleveland, Texas, last Friday (April 28) at around 11:30 p.m., the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office said. Authorities believed they were within a 2-mile or so radius of Oropesa on Saturday (April 29) but said he may have evaded the search after they located his cellphone and clothing.
"He could be anywhere now," San Jacinto Sheriff Greg Capers said during a press conference Saturday afternoon via NBC News.
Smith urged urged residents to immediately call 911 if they spot Oropesa while addressing the incident on Saturday.
"We consider him armed and dangerous," Smith said via NBC News. "He is out there, and he's a threat to the community."
The victims killed during the incident were publicly identified by Capers as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 8, all of whom were from Honduras. Authorities seized the rifle used during the incident, but Oropesa is believed to possibly still be armed with a handgun amid the ongoing search.