Two teenagers were arrested after the body of an 18-year-old young man was found in a Texas lake
Investigators say the suspects got rid of the victim's clothing and phone before fleeing the scene in their car.
Two teenagers are accused of hiding evidence related to the alleged drowning of an 18-year-old in Texas.
Daniel Erving was last seen at his residence on Woodlands Trail, Dallas, around 4:45 p.m. local time on April 13. He was found dead, possibly from drowning, three days later near the Paddle Point area of Lake Ray Hubbard, the Rowlett Police Department (RPD) said in a news release posted on Facebook.
Following the Dallas Police Department's (DPD) investigation into Erving's death, Lucas Roper, 19, and a 17-year-old suspect were arrested on July 9 for allegedly tampering with physical evidence related to the case, NBC 5 DFW, CBS News and ABC News reported.
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by the media, Erving visited Lake Ray Hubbard with Roper and the 17-year-old on the day of her disappearance. The three jumped into the water from a railroad bridge near Miller Road, where Erving is believed to have drowned.
Investigators allege the suspects disposed of Erving's clothing and phone before fleeing the scene in their car. According to the affidavit, Roper also admitted to deleting text messages between him and Erving.
“During the investigation, detectives identified evidence that two people present at the lake did not report the incident and subsequently disposed of items belonging to Daniel,” department spokeswoman Erika M. Brown told CBS News.
“As a result, investigators obtained arrest warrants for Lucas Roper, 19, and a juvenile suspect,” he added.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office (DCMEO) determined the cause and manner of Erving's death to be accidental drowning, Brown confirmed.
Erving's family is seeking greater transparency in the investigation and demanding that murder charges be filed.
“A sensible person would know that if they are not guilty of a crime, why would they throw away their clothes, delete their messages and not even call their mother?” Tameca Erving, Daniel Irving's mother, told CBS News.
"Daniel Irving was a straight-A student. He was on the swim team. He was a strong, healthy young athlete. For these two suspects to say that he drowned and they left doesn't make sense; something seems strange to us," said the family's attorney, Sean Daredia.