A Texas teen who set out to confront his baby’s mother’s new boyfriend allegedly armed himself with an AR-15 – but first had to ask friends for gas money and a ride, police say.
Hugo Carlin, 19, was arrested in Waco on November 12 on a charge of criminal solicitation–murder and is being held in the McLennan County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
Arrest warrants obtained by KWTX show Carlin had been sending violent texts to friends ahead of the planned confrontation, texting, “Ima smoke this N****.”
Carlin also asked for help getting there, according to the message found on his phone.
The case began September 15, when a Waco officer stopped a vehicle Carlin was in for traffic violations. Carlin and two other males were in the backseat with weapons resting on their laps, warrants state.
Police recovered five firearms from the backseat alone. Carlin was carrying a semi-automatic rifle equipped with what officers described as “an extremely high capacity of very deadly ammunition.”
Another passenger, 21-year-old Misael Jimenez, had an AR-15 with a 30-round magazine loaded with green-tip ammunition, which is “designed to have less loss of trajectory when impacting things like windshields, metal, windows, etc.”
A juvenile in the backseat had two handguns tucked in his waistband, including one that was reported stolen.
A front-seat passenger, the only person in the car without a weapon, told police Carlin had been “talking about going to confront his child’s mother’s new boyfriend.”
Others in the vehicle also indicated that it was Carlin’s plan, according to the warrants.
The vehicle was impounded for lack of insurance, and six cellphones were seized. Investigators later learned that the group had been communicating by phone and text throughout the day.
Police say the driver, 22-year-old Elian Guadalupe Araujo, picked up Carlin and the others to support Carlin’s “desire to commit murder.”
Additional texts from Carlin’s phone included “I need gas money bro,” “I’m FR N****,” and “I’m not playing.”
“This message thread supports the story given by parties at the time of the traffic stop that Hugo Carlin was looking for a ride or gas money, and that [Araujo] then picked up Carlin and [the others] to assist [Carlin] in the commission of the criminal offense of murder and/or aggravated assault,” police wrote.
Police say Jimenez and the juvenile also intended to help Carlin when they entered the vehicle armed with fully loaded guns and an AR-15 rifle.
Carlin, Jimenez, and Araujo were all arrested on November 12. Their bonds were set at $250,000 each.
Both Araujo and Jimenez are charged with criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
Two others in the vehicle were not charged.
