A local farmer found the body of 57-year-old Hector Velasquez Vargas in a canal south of Kaplan, Louisiana, on a Friday morning. Vargas, described as Hispanic and most recently living without a permanent residence in Lafayette, was later shown by autopsy to have been shot multiple times.

The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested two Lafayette residents in connection with the killing. Gabriel Alavarez Montoya, 32, and Pablo Andrade Fernandez, 66, were taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. Authorities reported both men were in the country without valid work visas.

The case is moving through the legal system while the community mourns Vargas and seeks answers about why he was killed in a secluded canal. If anyone knew Hector, saw him in the Lafayette area, or has information about the events leading to his death, please come forward.