Texas teens arrested after 18-year-old found dead in Dallas-area lake as family demands answers

The household of an 18-year-old Texas grant pupil whose assemblage was recovered from a Dallas-area water is demanding execution charges aft constabulary accused 2 teenagers of concealing grounds alternatively of reporting his drowning.

Daniel Erving, 18, was past seen astir 4:45 p.m. connected April 13 aft leaving his Rowlett home. His household reported his disappearance aft helium near with lone his cellphone, leaving down his driver's license, wealth and different idiosyncratic belongings, according to the Rowlett Police Department.

Three days later, authorities recovered Erving's assemblage adjacent the Paddle Point country of Lake Ray Hubbard. The Dallas County Medical Examiner aboriginal ruled his decease an accidental drowning, according to the Dallas Police Department.

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Daniel Erving, 18, was recovered dormant successful Lake Ray Hubbard aft helium was reported missing. His household is present calling for further transgression charges successful the case. (Next Generation Action Network)

Dallas constabulary told Fox News Digital detectives conducted a "thorough investigation," including witnesser interviews, grounds postulation and coordination with the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office.

"The Medical Examiner determined Daniel Erving's origin of decease was drowning, and the mode of decease was ruled accidental," the section said.

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Investigators aboriginal determined that "two individuals who were contiguous astatine the water failed to study the incidental and aboriginal discarded items belonging to Daniel," Dallas constabulary told Fox News Digital.

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Booking photograph of Lucas Roper, who was arrested connected a complaint of tampering with carnal grounds successful the Daniel Erving drowning investigation. (Rowlett Police Department)

"As a result, investigators obtained apprehension warrants for Lucas Roper, 19, and a juvenile suspect. They are each charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence, a third-degree felony. Both suspects person been arrested, and the cases volition proceed done the transgression justness system," the connection continued.

Police declined to supply further details, citing the progressive transgression probe and pending prosecution.

According to an apprehension affidavit obtained by Fox 4 Dallas, Erving had gone to Lake Ray Hubbard with Roper and a juvenile connected April 13, wherever the 3 allegedly jumped into the h2o from a railroad span adjacent Miller Road.

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The affidavit reportedly alleges Erving drowned aft entering the water, but alternatively of calling 911, Roper and the juvenile discarded Erving's clothing, deleted messages from his cellphone, threw the telephone from a moving conveyance and near the scene.

During a Monday quality conference, Erving's household said they judge determination are inactive unanswered questions surrounding the teen's decease and argued the lawsuit warrants a person look.

The family's quality league was organized by the Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), a North Texas civilian rights organization, which joined Erving's relatives successful calling for transparency and urging prosecutors to see further transgression charges.

In a quality merchandise up of the event, NGAN said the household is seeking "transparency, accountability, and a implicit investigation" pursuing the caller arrests and called connected the Dallas County District Attorney's Office to prosecute immoderate further charges supported by the evidence.

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Daniel Erving's family, attorneys and members of the Next Generation Action Network clasp a property league successful Dallas demanding further charges successful the probe into the 18-year-old's death. (Next Generation Action Network)

Family lawyer Sean Daredia said the Erving household has retained an autarkic investigative squad to analyse the circumstances surrounding Daniel's death.

Daredia questioned whether the disposable grounds is accordant with an accidental drowning.

"If it's an accident, wherefore fell the clothes? Why fly the scene? Why flip Daniel Erving's compartment telephone retired the car?" helium said.

He urged the Dallas County District Attorney's Office to contiguous the lawsuit to a expansive assemblage and prosecute homicide charges if the grounds supports them. Daredia besides encouraged anyone with accusation astir what happened astatine Lake Ray Hubbard to travel forward.

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Erving's mother, Tameca Erving, questioned wherefore anyone would dispose of her son's belongings if his decease had genuinely been an accident.

"A reasonable-minded idiosyncratic would cognize if you are not blameworthy of a crime, wherefore would you propulsion distant his apparel and delete messages and not adjacent telephone his mother?" she said. "I privation justness for my son."

Erving's sister, Mackenzie Erving, described her member arsenic a "law-abiding" young antheral with dreams of serving successful the military.

"He wanted to service his country," she said. "When it's a life-or-death situation, you are to render aid. You are to assistance someone. Someone needs to beryllium held accountable."

NGAN President Dominique Alexander said the arrests represented "a important step" but argued the probe should proceed wherever the grounds leads.

"We are calling upon the Dallas County District Attorney's Office to travel the grounds wherever it leads," Alexander said successful a statement. "If the grounds supports further charges, past those charges should beryllium pursued. Justice demands thing less."

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View of Lake Ray Hubbard adjacent the Paddle Point country wherever 18-year-old Daniel Erving's assemblage was recovered successful April 2026. (Google Maps)

Erving's household has besides criticized what they picture arsenic a months-long hold betwixt the teen's decease and the arrests.

NGAN said Erving's loved ones proceed to question wherefore truthful overmuch clip allegedly passed earlier instrumentality enforcement was notified aft helium disappeared and wherefore nary 1 instantly returned to notify his household that an exigency had occurred. The enactment besides raised concerns implicit allegations that Erving's idiosyncratic belongings were discarded pursuing the incident.

The Rowlett Police Department initially investigated Erving's disappearance aft helium was reported missing connected April 13. Authorities aboriginal recovered his assemblage from Lake Ray Hubbard earlier transferring the decease probe to the Dallas Police Department, which has jurisdiction due to the fact that the decease occurred wrong the metropolis of Dallas.

"The Dallas Police Department is the pb bureau investigating this case, arsenic Daniel's decease occurred wrong the City of Dallas," the Rowlett Police Department told Fox News Digital.

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Rowlett constabulary said they are assisting Dallas investigators arsenic requested and "will proceed to supply enactment passim the investigation."

Because the lawsuit remains active, the section said it could not merchandise further accusation "as doing truthful could compromise the integrity of the investigative process."

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"The Rowlett Police Department remains committed to afloat cooperating with the Dallas Police Department until the probe is complete," the section said.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office and Erving's household lawyer for comment.