In a heart-wrenching incident that unfolded at a Pleasant Grove apartment complex in Dallas, Juvenal Antero, a 24-year-old husband and father, tragically lost his life while shielding his family from armed intruders on Saturday afternoon.
Responding to a 911 call at approximately 2:40 p.m., Dallas Police discovered Antero with fatal gunshot wounds at the family’s residence. The assailants, two unidentified men, forcibly entered the home, fired a shot at the family, and fled the scene, leaving the suspects at large.
Elizabel Cardenas, Antero’s pregnant wife, recounted the harrowing experience in interviews with various media outlets. She described the unsuspecting moment when the intruders knocked on their door, feigning a need for assistance with a plunger. The family, believing the strangers genuinely required help, welcomed them into their home.
However, the situation quickly escalated as the intruders brandished a firearm. Antero, in a selfless act of heroism, jumped in front of their 4-year-old son, taking a fatal bullet to protect his family. Despite being injured, Antero managed to return fire in defense of his loved ones.
Cardenas recalled her husband’s last words, expressing the fear and realization of his mortal wound. He uttered, “They hit me. They hit me. I’m going to die. I don’t want to die in here.”
Medical personnel rushed Antero to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. Cardenas, now 11 weeks pregnant, faces the daunting task of raising their 4-year-old son while grappling with the trauma of the violent home invasion.
The grieving wife highlighted the profound impact on her son, who continues to ask when his father will be alive again. She expressed the difficulty of coping with the loss, lamenting the lack of comforting words and the restrictions imposed during the ongoing investigation.
As the investigation unfolds, Dallas Police are actively seeking information about the unidentified suspects. The community remains on edge as they await justice for the heroic sacrifice made by Juvenal Antero in the protection of his family.