‘I just want people to come forward': Mom seeks justice after son's killing

Isaiah Hernandez, 18, was shot and killed at a Pleasant Grove backyard party in June. His mother believes more people were involved.

A Fort Worth mother is pleading for witnesses to come forward three months after her 18-year-old son was killed at a backyard party in Pleasant Grove.

Dallas police arrested 19-year-old Charles Cooper on a murder charge last week in connection with the death of Isaiah Hernandez. But Hernandez’s mother, Araceli Rodriguez, believes more people were involved and is asking anyone with information, pictures or video to speak up.

“I just want people to come forward. I’m begging them to please come forward if they know anything, if they’ve seen anything, if they have pictures, video, anything,” Rodriguez said.

Dallas police said Hernandez died at a backyard party along Masters Drive in Pleasant Grove in the early morning hours of June 14.

An affidavit said a witness saw Cooper fire the automatic weapon that killed Hernandez. The affidavit also said Hernandez was “beat up by several individuals before being shot” and that the crime scene unit found shell casings from three different weapons.

Police said there are no outstanding suspects.

Rodriguez said several witnesses have shared details and video with her through social media. She said some people even returned a watch and rosary that were taken the night her son was killed.

“I was told from messages that people sent that they believe it was a robbery because they did say they saw people taking things off my son after he was already on the ground,” Rodriguez said.

Police have not confirmed those details.

Three months after her son’s death, Rodriguez said she is still struggling with the loss.

“I cry every day. I can’t sleep,” Rodriguez said.

“I just wish that I was still able to hold him,” she said.

Rodriguez said she wants people to come forward not only to get justice for her son but also because she fears others could be hurt.

“To me, they’re going to continue doing what they’re doing and they’re going to continue to hurt other people,” Rodriguez said.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.