The North Texas music community is mourning one of its brightest talents. Erick Del Campo, the popular DJ known on stage as DJ Avenger, died early on June 6, 2026, from injuries sustained in a car crash on U.S. Highway 80 in Mesquite, Texas — just hours after performing the biggest gig of his career. He was 44.
Mesquite Police were notified of the crash at 2:29 a.m. on June 6. Family members said Del Campo was heading home after the night performance when his car collided with another vehicle on the highway. Both drivers were transported to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas for treatment, where Del Campo later died from his injuries.
Career Milestone Hours Before Tragedy
Del Campo had spent June 5 behind the decks at Texas Live! and at Globe Life Field in Arlington, spinning for the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians matchup. It was his first Major League Baseball performance, a milestone his family said represented a lifelong goal. Roughly four hours after the final out, the celebration ended in tragedy.
“Playing music for his home team was a lifelong dream,” his family said. Del Campo had already built a strong reputation across North Texas, performing regularly at Texas Live! in Arlington, working games at the American Airlines Center, and spending 14 years as a regular DJ at Ojos Locos Sports Cantina. But the night at Globe Life Field was different.
The Texas Rangers organization paid tribute, with their Spanish-language community accounts, Los Rangers, saying Del Campo was “a beloved part of our Viva Tejas celebrations, bringing people together through his music, energy, and genuine love for our community.”
A Lifelong Passion for Music
His younger brother, Mike Del Campo, said music was always in Erick’s blood, even when they were kids sharing a house and a bedtime routine.
“I would be asleep, getting ready for school the next day, and he’d be up having his headphones on and I’d hear the music,” Mike recalled.
For Del Campo’s family, the timing has made the loss especially difficult to absorb — a juxtaposition his brother is still struggling to process.”I’m like in shock just like everybody else,” Mike said. “Erick, just know I love you, man.”
Generosity and Faith Defined His Character
Erick Del Campo is survived by his wife, Abigail; his daughter, Sofia; his parents, J. Martin and Regina; and his siblings, Nancy and Michael. Friends across the North Texas entertainment scene described him as someone whose impact reached well beyond the booth — a husband, father, brother, and friend who put others first.
Those who worked alongside him often pointed to his generosity. “He was the epitome of that guy that would give you the shirt off his back,” one friend said. Others recalled his faith and family-first approach, qualities they say defined both his personal life and his career.
Del Campo’s brother described him as a God-fearing man who poured that same conviction into everything he touched, which is part of why he connected with audiences and venue staff so easily. Friends say he was electric on stage and funny off it — the kind of presence that made a room feel warmer the second he walked in.
A Tragic Weekend for Texas Baseball
Del Campo’s death was the start of what turned out to be a painful weekend for the Texas baseball community. One day later, on June 7, a private jet crashed in the Dominican Republic. The aircraft, a Gulfstream G200, had originated in Puerto Rico, stopped in the Dominican Republic to refuel, and was en route to Austin, Texas, to pick up former Major League Baseball star Yadier Molina and his family for a return trip to Puerto Rico. Both American pilots aboard were killed when the jet crashed at La Romana International Airport. Molina and his family were safely waiting in Texas at the time, but the deaths of the two pilots added another layer of sorrow to an already difficult stretch of days.
Back in North Texas, friends launched a GoFundMe to support Del Campo’s wife and daughter as they navigate the road ahead. Those closest to him said the fundraiser is about more than finances — it’s about making sure the family he adored is wrapped in the same kind of care he showed others throughout his life.
For many in the music community, DJ Avenger’s legacy won’t be measured by the venues he played or the crowds he entertained. It will be measured in how he treated people — the warmth he brought to every booking, the loyalty he showed his friends, and the love he poured into his family. He reached his biggest career goal in Arlington, and he’ll be remembered for both the music and the kindness that came with it.