Inset left: Lucas Roper (Rowlett Police Department). Inset right: Daniel Erving (GoFundMe). Background: The railroad tracks leading to a bridge over Lake Ray Hubbard in Rowlett, Texas (Google Maps).
A teenager in Texas is behind bars several months after another teenager drowned in a North Texas lake, authorities say.
Lucas Roper, 19, stands accused of tampering with physical evidence in connection with the drowning death of 18-year-old Daniel Erving, according to the Rowlett Police Department.
On April 17, authorities found the victim's body floating in the Rowlett area of Lake Ray Hubbard, a large, freshwater lake that spans four counties in the Lone Star State. Rowlett is a medium-sized city and upscale suburb located about 20 miles northeast of Dallas.
After an autopsy, the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office identified the body as Erving's and ruled his death a drowning.
As the investigation progressed, law enforcement learned Erving had been reported missing on April 13, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Dallas-based ABC affiliate WFAA.
Detectives also learned the victim was last seen alive with Roper and a 16-year-old boy. Police said the trio had gone fishing and swimming at an area of the lake near the railroad bridge that runs through the 6300 block of Miller Road in Rowlett.
Roper allegedly told investigators he and Erving communicated via cellphone on the day they went to the lake. Erving picked Roper and the younger teenager up and they all went out to the water together, the defendant allegedly said.
From the railroad bridge, all three teens jumped into the lake, but Erving ultimately drowned, according to law enforcement.
Roper and the 16-year-old did not go for help, police said. Instead, they fled the scene — driving their drowned friend's vehicle with some of Erving's other belongings, according to the affidavit.
The pair threw the deceased teenager's clothes into a stand of trees near the lake, police said. Then, while driving away, the 16-year-old threw Erving's cellphone out the window at Roper's request, according to law enforcement. Detectives later recovered the victim's belongings after the 16-year-old showed them the scene.
On April 20, Roper admitted to investigators that he panicked after Erving drowned, according to the charging document. The defendant also admitted to deleting all his text messages and phone calls with Erving because he knew there would be an investigation into the drowning death and he wanted to avoid trouble, law enforcement said.
Detectives seized Roper's cellphone and confirmed all such communications had been deleted, police said.
Roper is alleged to have tampered with evidence by discarding Erving's clothing and deleting the communications, according to the affidavit. The charging document alleges both Roper and the 16-year-old tampered with evidence by disposing of Erving's cellphone.
The 16-year-old has also been formally charged in the case.
On Tuesday, Erving's family held a news conference calling for "murder" charges, WFAA and USA Today reported.
"Daniel Erving was an honor roll student," the family's attorney Sean Daredia said. "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."
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