ARLINGTON, Texas — An Arlington immigration lawyer was killed in his hometown in Mexico earlier this month, community organizers and family said.
Julio Paredes, 50, died July 24 after attending a fair in Durango, Mexico, according to Maria Aguilar, a community organizer who worked with Paredes in North Texas.
Aguilar said Paredes was run over at the fair and then died three days later, on July 27.
El Sol de Durango newspaper also reported on Paredes' death, and his family shared an update on Facebook this week.
Video of the incident posted to the Posta Durango news site showed what appeared to be three men fighting in a parking lot before one of the men fell down and was run over. A second man was also hit by the vehicle. Paredes' family confirmed to WFAA that the video was of the incident that led to Paredes' death.
"When I saw the video I was almost in disbelief it couldn’t be my friend Julio,” said Mitch Abeita, a friend of Paredes' from law school. "And watching that video it pains a lot of people emotionally and the family is seeking justice for his death."
Aguilar said a trial for the suspect in Paredes' death was being held Wednesday, but more information from authorities was not yet available.
Julio’s family is in Durango for a court hearing.
”The family wants to bring awareness to this heinous crime that occurred and make sure that the people are responsible are held accountable,” Abeita said.
Paredes was a husband and father of five children, and he was well-known in the North Texas immigrant community.
Aguilar mourned Paredes as a "beloved immigration lawyer" who helped families across North Texas.
"Julio dedicated his life to fulfilling his American dream," Aguilar said.
Paredes had immigrated to Texas and earned an accounting degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. He initially started his own tax business before later earning his law degree from the University of North Texas.
"He was a big family man and known to care a lot of about his family,” Abeita said. “Julio was a beacon of hope he was someone to persevere, to learn English, to achieve a higher education, pass the bar exam, and be able to help so many people."
After opening his law practice in Arlington, Paredes helped defend clients from deportation and obtain legal status, according to his firm's website. Paredes also worked on behalf of car accident victims, among other areas of the law.
Julio’s family and friends can’t believe such a loving and peaceful man died such a violent death. His daughter issued WFAA a statement through his friend.
He read part of it to WFAA.
”He was a man of God. He would always pray and read his bible in the morning. He would remind us to thank God in our lives and that we were very fortunate that we had blessed lives and didn’t take anything for granted.”
Julio’s family held a memorial service in Mexico to remember a man, they say only wanted to make the world a better place.