Man Uses Social Media To Help Catch Son’s Murder Suspect

(LibertyInsider.org) – Many people use social media to stay in touch with family, promote their businesses, or follow their favorite influencers. Sometimes, however, these platforms can be useful in other endeavors, such as tracking down criminals. That’s what recently happened in Texas when one man, searching for his son’s killer, took to TikTok for help.

Louis Carlos Laguna Jr., 19, who went by Carlos, attended a ranch party in North Fort Worth, Texas, last November. When he and his friends were leaving, they got into an argument with another group of people.

The groups went their separate ways, but as they were driving out, the other people fired shots into the truck Carlos was riding in, hitting him in the head. His friends tried to administer life-saving measures until paramedics got there, but he later died at a local hospital.

Texas dad's TikTok videos helped lead police to son's suspected killer: 'It paid off' https://t.co/HzR6ttLACC

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 24, 2024

Laguna’s father, Luis Carlos Laguna Sr., said the detectives working the case told him it might take a while to track down leads because the party was held in a remote area with no cameras around. While he trusted them to do their jobs, he also wanted to help get the word out so that anyone with information would come forward to help. So, he started posting TikTok videos.

In the clips, Laguna Sr. would talk about his son, giving anecdotes about his life and character, because he “wanted people to be able to relate to him.” Carlos, he said, attended Tarrant County College and planned to join the Navy, like his dad. He also had ambitions to either become a SWAT officer or a welder.

Making the videos was tough and emotional for Laguna Sr., but he persisted in hopes of bringing his son’s killer to justice, asking anyone who knew anything to come forward.

Finally, months into the investigation, the videos paid off. Someone with information about the crime reportedly saw the videos and went to the police. Authorities arrested 20-year-old Martin Ramirez-Lopez and charged him with murder. He is currently in Tarrant County Jail on a $500,000 bond.