‘Someone left my baby on the ground,’ Lubbock family, police search for driver who failed to stop in deadly crash

LUBBOCK, Texas — A Lubbock family is asking the public for help searching for the driver involved in a crash that killed their 22-year-old son and brother, Joshua Bustos Jr.

“He was very young,” said Joshua’s mother, Shirald Bustos. “He had so many dreams.”

Shirald said her son was a plumber apprentice and enjoyed riding bikes at a very young age. He had just purchased his motorcycle a year ago. He had also recently just been baptized and found God and a good church, something she was so proud of him for.

On September 28th , Joshua Jr. was coming home from a pool hall he usually plays at. A little after midnight while traveling westbound on Spur 327, police believe Joshua may have lost control of his bike and was lying on the road when he was hit by two vehicles. Through an investigation, police found one driver stopped, but the other did not.

Shirald recounted those moments that night when she said in her gut, she knew something was wrong.

“I refreshed my screen and it was still showing he was in the same location, five minutes went by and I woke my husband up and I said something’s wrong with mijo,” Shirald said.

Joshua’s father, Joshua Sr., and his sister, Ivanna, decided to head to the last location his phone was showing, and when they got closer they’d make a tragic discovery.

“I see police lights and his location is still right there and my husband was trying to be very calm,” Shirald said. “The detective came down to talk to me and my husband and that look on his face… He had a look of remorse…he asked me who I was there for and I told him my son’s name, Joshua Bustos.”

While police were not allowed to go further, the detective was able to confirm it was Joshua Jr. who was killed on the scene.

“I put up a picture of my son and I started explaining he had a tattoo on his right forearm and he said that’s your son and that’s it,” Shirald said.

At that moment, Shirald said all she wanted to do was see her son.

“They wouldn’t let me go back and I understand why, but all I wanted was to go pick up my baby off the ground, I wanted to hold him, I wanted to hold him while his body was still warm,” Shirald said.

The family urges whoever that second drive was to come forward or anyone with any information.

“My brother did not deserve this. If you know any information or if you were out there on Spur 327, the morning of September 28th at one in the morning, please come out, you can’t hide for long,” Ivanna said.

To honor Joshua Jr., his friends and family are hosting a last ride at Legacy Park at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 4th. Everyone is welcome to join.

The family has also set up a GoFundMe for funeral expenses for Joshua Jr. that can be found here.

If you have any information on this incident, please contact Crime Line at 806-741-1000 or Detective Matt Roller at 806-775-2876.

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