SAN JACINTO COUNTY, Texas — The man accused of killing five people at his neighbor's house had a history of disputes with the family and once killed their dog, according to residents in the San Jacinto County neighborhood.
They say Francisco Oropeza got angry because Wilson Garcia's dog would dig under his fence and kill his chickens. He complained to Garcia, according to neighbors, but after it happened a few times, Oropeza shot and killed the dog.
Investigators said Oropeza shot and killed Garcia's wife and son and three other adults inside the home after someone asked him to stop shooting his gun so their baby could sleep.
After a four-day manhunt, FBI agents and deputies arrested Oropeza about 20 minutes away in the Montgomery County town of Cut and Shoot. He's charged with five counts of murder and his bond was set at $7.5M.
His wife, Divimara Nava, was also jailed because she helped her husband hide and tried to help him get to Mexico, according to law enforcement.
News of his arrest was a huge relief to his neighbors who were armed and ready to defend themselves if he came back.
One woman said her family had stayed inside since the shooting because they were scared. Now, she's grateful her children can play outside again.
"Niños por lo menos ahora pueden salir al patio con mas tranquilidad," Davidsela Ivonnet said.
Francisco Torres told us the man he called Pancho will have to pay for what he did.
"Va tener que pagar por lo que hizo," he said.
Other neighbors said they also had run-ins with Oropezo, including a woman who said he shot her dog twice but it survived.
A few months ago, Rene Arevalo Sr. said Oropeza threatened to kill his dog and chased the pit bull in his truck after it got loose in the neighborhood.
"I tell my wife all the time, 'Stay away from the neighbors. Don't argue with them. You never know how they're going to react,'" Rene Arevalo Sr. told the Associated Press. "I tell her that because Texas is a state where you don't know who has a gun and who is going to react that way."