Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death of an 18-year-old Texas high school swimmer after authorities alleged they discarded his belongings and deleted evidence following his drowning at a Dallas-area lake, as reported by The New York Post.
Daniel Erving, an honor roll student and member of his school's swim team, disappeared in April after he and two friends jumped from a railroad bridge into Lake Ray Hubbard in the eastern suburbs of Dallas.
Two teens have been arrested in connection with the drowning death of the 18-year-old Daniel Erving at Lake Ray Hubbard in April. https://t.co/tK4TFctSZ5
— WFAA (@wfaa) July 14, 2026
His body was recovered from the lake on April 17, four days after he vanished. A medical examiner later ruled that Erving died from an accidental drowning.
According to the Dallas Police Department, 19-year-old Lucas Roper and a 17-year-old juvenile did not report the incident to authorities and instead allegedly disposed of some of Erving's personal belongings after leaving the scene.
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The two suspects were arrested on July 9, and each faces a charge of tampering with physical evidence, a third-degree felony.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by ABC News, Roper and the juvenile left the area after Erving drowned.
Investigators allege that Roper threw Erving's clothing into a tree line near the railroad bridge.
The affidavit further alleges that the juvenile threw Erving's cellphone from the vehicle into a roadside ditch after Roper instructed him to do so.
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Investigators also allege that Roper deleted communications between himself and Erving from his cellphone because “he was aware that there would be an investigation into Daniel Erving’s death and he did not want to get into trouble,” according to the affidavit.
KCENTV reported that during a voluntary interview with detectives on April 20, Roper allegedly admitted that he “panicked” after Erving drowned.
Although investigators have charged the two teenagers with evidence tampering, Erving's family believes additional criminal charges are warranted.
The family has publicly called for murder charges and has criticized investigators for what they describe as a lengthy delay before making arrests.
Family members noted that police interviewed both suspects within days of Erving's disappearance, yet arrests were not made until nearly three months later.
Speaking to FOX 4, Erving's mother, Tameca Erving, questioned why anyone who was innocent would allegedly discard evidence rather than seek help.
“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?” she said.
“I want justice for my son,” she added.
Erving's sister also said her brother had been preparing to join the military and serve his country before his death.
The family's attorney, Sean Daredia, is urging the Dallas County District Attorney's Office to present the case to a grand jury and pursue homicide charges.
During a Monday press conference, Daredia argued that the suspects' actions after the drowning raised serious questions.
“Those two suspects let Daniel Erving… sit on the bottom of Lake Ray Hubbard for four days. They went to school. They lived their lives,” Daredia said.
He also questioned the decisions investigators allege were made after the incident.
“If it’s an accident, why hide the clothes? Why flee the scene? Why toss Daniel Erving’s cellphone off the car?” he asked.
Daredia concluded his remarks by urging prosecutors to seek additional charges.
“We won’t accept tampering charges. Take this case. Take the facts. Take the evidence to a grand jury and bring the appropriate charges,” Daredia said.
The investigation remains active and is being led by the Dallas Police Department.
Officials said the agency assumed primary responsibility after jurisdictional issues arose with the Rowlett Police Department during the early stages of the search.
18-year-old Daniel Irving drowned while out on a lake with two friends. Now the friends has been arrested for tampering with evidence — allegedly hiding his clothes, deleting messages, discarding his phone, and hoping no one would find the body. 👀😳💔🕊️ pic.twitter.com/RpvYVcKAMA
— Rain Drops Media (@Raindropsmedia1) July 12, 2026
In a statement, the Dallas Police Department extended condolences to Erving's family while declining to discuss additional details.
“Because this matter remains an active criminal investigation and pending prosecution, the department cannot provide additional details at this time,” the department said.
The Rowlett Police Department also confirmed that Dallas police are serving as the lead investigative agency.
“The Rowlett Police Department is assisting the Dallas Police Department as requested and will continue to provide support throughout the investigation,” the department said.
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