Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pushed for the death penalty in a statement Sunday for the illegal alien accused of murdering five neighbors after they asked him to stop shooting his gun because they had a baby that was sleeping.
Cruz made the remarks in response to a tweet from Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin that noted that officials have confirmed that 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa is an illegal alien and has previously been deported from the U.S. multiple times.
“Heidi & I are praying for the victims’ families and for law enforcement to quickly catch this butcher & bring him to justice,” Cruz said. “Once caught he must be quickly tried, and if convicted must never see sunlight again. This disgusting act deserves the death penalty, and I hope this illegal alien mass murderer gets it.”
“Joe Biden & Kamala Harris made the deliberate political decision to open our borders & allow SIX MILLION illegal immigrants to cross,” he added. “This death & carnage is the predictable and tragic result. We must STOP the #BidenBodyBags”
3/x Joe Biden & Kamala Harris made the deliberate political decision to open our borders & allow SIX MILLION illegal immigrants to cross.
This death & carnage is the predictable and tragic result.
We must STOP the #BidenBodyBags
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 30, 2023
San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said his office was offering a $55,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Francisco Oropesa. The FBI then announced that it was adding $25,000 to the reward.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott subsequently announced that the state would add an additional $50,000 to the reward, bringing the total to $130,000.
“We don’t know where he is,” Capers said during a press conference on Sunday. “We have zero leads.”
Local media reported that there were hundreds of law enforcement officials assisting in efforts to find Oropesa.
The FBI’s field office in Houston released new photos of Oropesa on Sunday afternoon that appear to have been taken at three different moments in time because he is wearing different clothing and he appears to be in a government facility in each of the photos.
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