Three months after 18-year-old Daniel Erving was found dead beside a lake, two teenagers have been arrested in connection with his death. On July 9, 2026, the Dallas Police Department arrested 19-year-old Lucas Roper and a 17-year-old suspect on charges of tampering with physical evidence.
According to investigators, the three young men went to Lake Ray Hubbard for a swim on April 13, 2026. Officials suspect that Erving accidentally drowned in the lake, while the other two fled the scene and failed to report the incident to authorities. Meanwhile, the victim’s family has demanded murder charges against Roper and the 17-year-old suspect.
Two Teenagers Arrested in Connection with Daniel Erving’s Death
On April 13, 2026, Erving visited Lake Ray Hubbard in Dallas but failed to return home. A day later, his mother filed a missing person report. After three days of search, his body was found near the Paddle Point area of the lake. A medical examiner determined that he died of accidental drowning.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Police Department and Rowlett Police Department investigated the case and took Roper and the 17-year-old suspect into custody. According to arrest documents, the three jumped from a railroad bridge near the 6300 block of Miller Road on the day Erving drowned.
Roper and the juvenile allegedly fled the scene without calling 911 or reporting the drowning. Roper has also been accused of dumping Erving’s clothes. He then allegedly deleted all text messages and calls between himself and Erving from his phone. In a voluntary April 20 interview at Sachse High School, Roper reportedly confessed that he deleted the texts and calls in a panic as he did not want to get into trouble during the investigation.
“During the investigation, detectives identified evidence that two individuals who were present at the lake failed to report the incident and later discarded items belonging to Daniel. As a result, investigators obtained arrest warrants for Lucas Roper, 19, and a juvenile suspect,” a spokesperson for the Dallas Police Department said.
The Victim’s Family Demands Murder Charges
Following the suspects’ arrest, Erving’s family said there could be more to the crime than meets the eye. “A reasonable-minded person would know, if you are not guilty of a crime, why would you throw away his clothes and delete messages and not even call his mother?” the victim’s mother, Tameca Erving, said in a statement to CBS News.
Daredia Law, the firm representing Erving’s family, said their clients are not satisfied with the tampering with physical evidence charge. “Nearly three months later, the only charge arising from his death is tampering with evidence. The family and its attorneys are calling for accountability and a complete investigation that follows the evidence wherever it leads,” the law firm said.
Defense attorney Sean Daredia said the victim was a strong athlete, and hence, it is suspicious that he drowned. “Daniel Erving was an honor roll student. He was a member of his swim team. He was a strong, healthy young athlete. For these two suspects to say he drowned and they left. It doesn’t add up; something smells off to us,” the attorney commented.
