Early morning at Constitution Lakes Park usually brings quiet mist, chirping birds, and early joggers enjoying the serene South River area. But last Friday, right before six in the morning, that morning calm shattered in an instant. Gunfire echoed through the trees near the entrance on South River Industrial Boulevard, leaving a community stunned and grieving.
Police rushed to the scene and found two young men lying dead right outside a gray van parked near the trailhead. The DeKalb County Medical Examiner later identified the victims as 27-year-old Andres Pedro Baltazar and 23-year-old Tomas Pascual Cano. Both men suffered multiple gunshot wounds, turning a peaceful summer morning into a heart-wrenching crime scene.
Friends and family are left reeling from the sudden loss of two vibrant young men taken way too soon. At 27 and 23, Andres and Tomas had their whole lives ahead of them, full of dreams, plans, and everyday routines. Nobody ever expected that a simple visit to a local park would be their last moments together.
The tragic event played out right near Doll’s Head Trail, a unique 125-acre nature preserve famous across Atlanta for its quirky folk art made from found objects. It is normally a place where families go for peaceful weekend walks and dog lovers take morning strolls. To have such violent bloodshed happen in a spot dedicated to nature and art makes the loss feel even heavier for local residents.
Detectives locked down the park entrance for hours on Friday, scouring the parking lot for evidence and interviewing nearby witnesses. The gray van sitting in the lot belonged to at least one of the victims, adding another layer of sadness as investigators towed it away. Regular park-goers stood in disbelief beyond the police tape, trying to make sense of how such a senseless act could happen right in their neighborhood.
The shock only deepened when police announced who they caught for the double homicide. Authorities arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the killings, charging the minor with two counts of malice murder and gun possession charges. The thought of someone so young taking the lives of two men has left the entire DeKalb community thoroughly shaken.
As the legal process begins, the families of Andres Pedro Baltazar and Tomas Pascual Cano are left searching for answers that might never fully explain their grief. Detectives still have not revealed a clear motive or whether the victims even knew the teenager who shot them. For now, those who loved Andres and Tomas are leaning on each other, holding tight to their memories as they demand justice for two lives ended far too early.
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