Texas shooting - latest: Francisco Oropesa and partner ‘plotted escape to Mexico’ after Cleveland massacre

While the suspected Cleveland, Texas, shooter Francisco Oropesa was hiding from authorities, his partner Divimara Lamar Nava was bringing him doughnuts and plotting their escape, all while seeming to cooperate with police, according to authorities.

The Independent reports:

A neighbour of the suspected Cleveland, Texas shooter, Francisco Oropesa, told NBC News she bought a gun after last Friday’s mass shooting.

The neighbour, who asked only to be identified by her first name, Vanessa, said that her father used to shoot guns and drink with Mr Oropesa and “figured out” that Mr Oropesa was “not a good person.”

“And I’m glad he did, because what if it was us?” Vanessa said.

The neighbour also said she was not surprised Mr Oropesa managed to avoid law enforcement because he avoided police when being served with an alleged protective order last year

“He was hiding from the police that time, too,” she said.

Francisco Oropesa had a cellphone on him when he was found hiding under a pile of laundry in the closet of a home in Cut and Shoot, Texas, on Tuesday, according to authorities.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, Chief Deputy Tim Kean of the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office slammed anyone who helped the suspect while he was on the run – saying that the people the accused mass killer was in contact with had not left the area.

“Anybody that helped this maniac definitely has some kind of issues as far as I’m concerned,” he said, adding that Mr Oropesa “thought he was in a safe spot”.

None of the individuals arrested in connection to the mass shooting were at the home in Cut and Shoot at the time of Mr Oropesa’s arrest, he said.