North Texas man charged with tampering with evidence nearly 3 months after teen drowned on North Texas lake
A 19-year-old has been taken to jail, accused of throwing out phones and deleting messages in the wake of a teen's drowning on Lake Ray Hubbard in April of 2026.
Jail records obtained by CBS News Texas confirmed that the Dallas Police Department arrested Lucas Roper on July 9. He's charged with tampering with evidence tied to the death of 18-year-old Daniel Erving. Roper was granted a $10,000 bond.
Evidence reportedly tossed, deleted
An affidavit for Roper's arrest claims he, Erving, and a 17-year-old boy jumped into the lake from a bridge on April 13 near Miller Road in Rowlett. However, Erving drowned; his body was recovered days later, on April 17.
The affidavit claims that Roper and the 17-year-old threw Erving's clothes into a tree line near a bridge above the water before driving away in Roper's vehicle. It also claims the pair threw Erving's cell phone out.
According to the affidavit, Erving's phone and clothes were recovered as the investigation got underway. A review of the phone showed text messages and phone calls shared between Roper and Erving from the day they went to Lake Ray Hubbard. A search of Roper's phone, per the affidavit, revealed that Roper deleted all communication between him and Erving; Roper reportedly admitted he was afraid of getting into trouble.
Dallas Police, in the affidavit, reported they interviewed Roper at Sasche High School on April 20. The affidavit claims Roper admitted to driving off and ordering the 17-year-old to toss Erving's phone. The 17-year-old, in his own interview with police, also reportedly told investigators Roper himself threw out Erving's clothes.
Dallas Police noted the Rowlett Police Department handled an initial missing persons report for Erving, but that DPD was handling the death investigation.
Demands for answers grow
Erving's family, along with community advocacy groups, has demanded answers from Dallas Police and called for justice. Dominique Alexander, president of the Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), slammed Rowlett Police, claiming the department failed to act swiftly in a statement shared in late April.
"This case represents a complete breakdown in urgency, accountability, and equal justice. A young Black student goes missing, and instead of immediate action, his family is met with delay and dismissal," Alexander said. "Then we learn that individuals were present when he died, failed to call for help, failed to report it, and are still not in custody."
"We are not going to accept excuses. We are not going to accept delays," Alexander's statement continued. "And we are certainly not going to accept a narrative that asks this family to move on without answers. Justice requires action, and action must happen now."
In an open letter to DPD Chief Daniel Comeaux shared on June 7, NGAN called for the department to share meaningful updates and to provide assurance that it was thoroughly investigating Erving's death.
"We recognize that investigations must be guided by evidence and the law. At the same time, accountability requires that every fact be fully investigated and every potential violation of the law be carefully evaluated," part of the letter read.
Early Friday evening, Alexander shared confirmation of Roper's arrest, saying DPD confirmed details to him. He also said the 17-year-old was in custody; CBS News Texas is still working to confirm this.
"This investigation remains ongoing, and we understand that additional charges may still be forthcoming as investigators continue their work. We will continue to closely monitor this case and advocate for truth, transparency, and justice every step of the way," Alexander said.