Wylie ISD principal urges students to help police in Garland double murder case
GARLAND- Achieve Academy Principal Dana Roberts confirmed what was likely already known to his students. Ruben Santibanez-Arzola was one of two victims killed in a tragic shooting in Garland.
CBS News Texas obtained a letter sent out by Roberts that also confirmed the second victim, Alan Chavez, as a former student of the Wylie Independent School District.
"Understandably, the death of a teenager will bring about many questions and emotions," Robert said. "We are here to help, and our counselor and the district's crisis team are available to assist any student in need."
He also urged students with information about the deadly to contact the Garland Police Department. GPD continues to search for suspect Amancio Noriz.
The murders happened on January 14 in a parking lot off of West Buckingham Rd. Police said the 17 and 18-year-old victims had an aggressive meeting with Noriz.
The 16-year-old has been on the run since that time. Funeral services for Chavez were held Monday at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Wylie.
While services for Santibanez-Arzola were not listed, his final resting place is set to be in Plano.
The full statement from the eleventh grader's school principal is here:
Achieve Families,
I have sad news to share. Over the weekend, we lost one of our Achieve students in a tragic shooting incident in Garland. This afternoon, the Garland Police Department officially released the names of the two victims, which included Achieve student Ruben Santibanez-Arzola. The other victim, Alan Chavez, previously attended school in Wylie ISD. We extend our sincerest condolences to their families, friends, and loved ones, and our thoughts and prayers are with them during this devastating time.
Understandably, the death of a teenager will bring about many questions and emotions. As this news may affect your child in various ways, we want to offer tips to help guide conversations you may have with them: English | Spanish. Please let us know if you have concerns or notice any changes in your child's behavior. We are here to help, and our counselor and the district's crisis team are available to assist any student in need.
Additionally, there is an active, ongoing investigation into this tragedy. If you have any information that may aid Garland PD's investigation, we encourage you to contact them at 972-485-4840 or anonymously at 972-272-TIPS (8477).
Again, do not hesitate to reach out if your child needs additional support or if I can be of further assistance. Please continue to keep these families in your thoughts and prayers.