Dallas police say two men are in custody in connection with the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed the son of a Cedar Hill police officer on Tuesday.
In a Friday night news conference, Maj. Rob Sherwin announced the arrests of 25-year-old Dagoberto Castonon and 24-year-old Rogelio Avila in North Fort Myers, Florida.
Sherwin said both men were in the vehicle that killed 13-year-old Ethan Vasquez, but police are not sure who was driving.
Police say a cell phone, thought to belong to Castonon, was found in the minivan at the crash scene. The phone led police to Castonon's girlfriend. When police interviewed her, she told them she saw Castonon hours after the arrest.
The arrest warrant says he told her about the crash and that he was unsure if anyone was hurt, or how bad. The warrant says Castonon had the girlfriend cancel service on the cell phone and asked her to go to Mexico with him, she refused. Police say the girlfriend dropped Castonon off at Avila’s house and hadn’t heard from him since.
Both men were found in a trailer park in North Fort Myers, Fl., that belonged to Castonon according to Sherwin.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Castonon and Avila are charged with murder, they're being held on $1.5 million dollars bond. Sherwin said extradition is expected next week.
On Thursday police identified Dagoberto Castonon as a "person of interest" in the case. Police said he was linked to the crash through physical evidence found at the scene. On Friday afternoon, police said they had identified a second person of interest but never named that person.
The crash killed Ethan Vasquez, who was riding in the car with his mother, Sandy, when their Nissan Versa was hit broadside by the driver of a stolen minivan who was trying to elude Highland Park police officers, police said.
Both Sandy Vasquez and her son were transported to area hospitals, Ethan Vasquez died shortly after arrival at the hospital.
Cedar Hill Police Sergeant Victor Vasquez told NBC 5 Friday that he expects his wife to leave the intensive care unit soon. Sandy Vasquez has been at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas since the crash.
The Vasquez family has established a fund to help cover expenses related to the death of Ethan and the injuries to his mother. Anyone who wishes to contribute to that fund can do so at any Citizens National Bank of Texas location.
NBC 5's Ray Villeda and Frank Heinz contributed to this report
