Over the weekend, law enforcement faced difficulties in apprehending a man believed to have used an AR-15 rifle to brutally murder five of his neighbors in what appeared to be execution-style killings.

Despite an extensive operation by an army of over 150 law enforcement officers near Houston, the suspect, Francisco Oropesa, 38, managed to evade capture, NBC News reported.

On Sunday afternoon, authorities reported that Oropesa had successfully eluded a 2-mile dragnet set up in Cleveland, Texas, approximately 45 miles north of Houston, on Saturday.

Determined to bring him to justice, the search continued on Sunday with an increased force of over 250 officers actively involved in the manhunt.

According to officials, Francisco Oropesa is suspected of initiating the shooting incident late Friday after one of his neighbors complained about the noise caused by gunfire from Oropesa’s neighboring property, which was disturbing an infant’s sleep.

Law enforcement authorities have indicated that Oropesa may have been under the influence of alcohol or intoxicated at the time of the attack.

Written by staff