A father in Arlington may at last have some resolution after his videos on TikTok guide the police to a suspect in his son’s killing.
Luis Carlos Laguna Sr. shared many videos on TikTok about his son’s killing over the course of several months, with lots of people viewing them.
@biglos7883 So I’m putting this video out in hopes that the person or persons involved in my sons shooting see this and come forward. If the guilt of what happened isn’t enough for them to come forward then maybe this will. The reward is coming up to $5,000, hoping this can change one of their minds. Please share this video over and over so we can get as much exposure as we can for Carlitos. I know this won’t bring him back but at least we can have some type of closure. #gonetoosoon #forever19 #restinpeace #luiscarloslaguna #justiceforcarlitos #missyouson #loveyoualways #nivel #haciendabanuelos #grupofrontera #pesopluma #xavi #laenergianorteña #ranchparty #reward #unsolved #unsolvedcasefiles #gunviolenceawareness🧡🧡🧡
The effort to find the person who fatally shot 19-year-old Luis Carlos Laguna Jr. — also known as Carlos or “Carlitos,” as named by Luis — finally succeeded.
@biglos7883 Major news with Carlitos’ case!!! Thank You Jesus!!! #gonetoosoon #forever19 #restinpeace #luiscarloslaguna #justiceforcarlitos #missyouson #loveyoualways #prouddad #happy #soyoung #lovedtodance #alwaysdancing #siblings #bigbrother #littlesister #losingachild #losingason #bestfriends #alwayshangingout #alwaystogether
Martin Ramirez-Lopez, 20, was taken into custody by Fort Worth police earlier this month on charges of murder. A detective informed the Laguna family about the arrest, but did not disclose many details due to the ongoing nature of the case.
“He said the TikTok videos did it,” Luis recounted, per Fox 4 KDFW. “He said someone saw the videos and came forward with information.” said, per Fox 4 KDFW. “He said someone saw the videos and came forward with information.”
Carlos was killed while waiting in his vehicle to leave a parking lot on Northwest 35th Street at around 2 a.m. after a ranch concert in Fort Worth on November 18, 2023. That night, Carlos and his friends had reportedly argued with another group of concert attendees.
Have announced believed that there were numerous witnesses to Carlos’ killing, including some from the suspect’s group, yet no one volunteered information.
“The weeks went by. Weeks turned into months, and then still nothing,” Luis remembered, according to Fox 4.
Luis resorted to TikTok, making appeals for witnesses or the perpetrator to come forward and sharing videos commemorating his son, recalling special occasions such as his prom or first shave.
@biglos7883 So these are always the hardest videos for me to watch because he was just so young and of course at the time we thought he had his whole life ahead of him. But seeing him want to spend time with me, wanting me to show him how to shave and copy what I do makes me feel so good. And the way he looks at me, the way a son should look up to his dad 🥹 i love these older memories. #gonetoosoon #forever19 #restinpeace #luiscarloslaguna #justiceforcarlitos #missyouson #loveyoualways #prouddad #happy #soyoung #lovedtodance #alwaysdancing #siblings #bigbrother #littlesister #losingachild #losingason #bestfriends #firstshave #shaving
“I felt that was the only way I could do justice for him because there was nothing I could do to protect him. As a father, that really hurts me. Because a father should be there to protect his family,” Luis informed Fox 4.
Ramirez-Lopez was still in police custody with a $500,000 bond as of the publication date.
Fort Worth police have been dealing with a significant shortage of staff, with about 200 vacant positions reported by Assistant Police Chief Robert Alldredge last November. He explained to City of Fort Worth leaders that these shortages were affecting several areas, including the violent crime unit, according to NBC 5 DFW.
Likewise, the Dallas Police Department has been short on officers, with only 3,000 in the field despite a City analysis suggesting closer to 4,000. City leaders also approved far fewer tax funds for police compared to their counterparts in other high-crime areas, authorizing a DPD budget of just $654 million this fiscal year.
