Editor’s Note: This article includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - For nearly eight years, parents Carlos and Juanita Lopez have kept medical records, legal filings, photographs and movie posters in their Elk Grove home tied to one mission: fighting for answers after the death of their son, Army veteran and aspiring actor Carlos Lopez Jr.

However, what began as grief over the loss of their son has evolved into a lengthy legal battle against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in what the family describes as a broader fight for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after returning home from war.

“We knew he was struggling, but it seemed like he had it together,” Juanita Lopez said in a recent interview at the family’s home.

Lopez Jr., a combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was diagnosed with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury related to his military service, according to his parents. After his honorable discharge in 2010, he pursued acting and filmmaking, first studying at Cosumnes River College before moving to Los Angeles.

He took on acting roles and worked as a consultant on film sets, drawing on his combat experience for military-themed productions. He also graduated from the Los Angeles Film School, where he developed his own PTSD-focused film project inspired by his experiences.

His parents said acting became a way for him to process trauma and communicate what many veterans experience after combat.

“The career made the PTSD better for him,” Juanita Lopez said. “It helped him express what he was feeling.”

Inside the family’s home, photos, recognitions and memorabilia from his film projects reflect the path Lopez Jr. was building in the years before his death in 2018.

They described him as charismatic and driven, noting he appeared in projects alongside well-known figures in the industry such as John Cena, George Lopez and Al Pacino.

 

A portrait of Carlos Lopez Jr. and a photo of him on set with George Lopez are displayed in a corner of the Lopez family home, part of the personal mementos they keep in his memory as they continue their legal fight against the VA.

“He was on his way up,” Juanita Lopez said.

His credits included being featured in “America’s Most Wanted,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,”

  “iCarly” and the film “Bumblebee,” which was released shortly after his death. He was also known for his role on the reality series “Operation Repo.”

Despite growing success in his acting career, his parents said concerns about his mental health increased in the weeks before his death after he was prescribed gabapentin through the VA. They said Lopez Jr. began experiencing paranoia after starting the medication.

“He was saying, ‘Mom, are the police coming? Is somebody looking for me?’” Juanita Lopez recalled. “There was this paranoia that started to surface.”

The Lopezes allege the dosage was too high and that VA medical providers failed to properly respond to warning signs despite repeated contact and appointments.

“Why would doctors give a veteran with PTSD medication that is known to cause thoughts of death or suicide?” Carlos Lopez Sr. said, referencing warning labels on the prescription that listed possible side effects including “confusion” and “thoughts of suicide.”

Court filings state Lopez Jr. first sought care in May 2018 for chronic back pain and was prescribed gabapentin during a visit to the VA neurology clinic in Los Angeles. He later returned to a VA mental health clinic as a walk-in patient, asking to see a psychiatrist about disturbing nightmares.

After being evaluated by a psychiatric nurse and psychologist, he was discharged and scheduled for a follow-up appointment in August. Medical staff determined he was at “low risk for self-harm or harm to others,” according to court records.

Days later, on June 24, 2018, Lopez Jr., died by suicide at 35 years old.

“He went to the hospital four days before he died to complain about it,” Carlos Lopez Sr. said. “They didn’t believe him because he looked good on the outside: polished, well-dressed, handsome… They failed to bring him in.”

The family said that they later learned records indicated clinicians assessed him as low risk in part because he appeared composed and functional during evaluation.

“This is not about appearance,” Juanita Lopez said. “It’s what was happening inside.”

After his death, the Lopezes said they spent months trying to obtain medical records from the VA. Carlos Lopez Sr. said he eventually wrote to both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump seeking help in accessing documents related to his son’s care.

What began as a claim for internal investigation in 2019 was denied by the VA, which found no basis for wrongful death. Lopez Jr.’s parents then pursued the case in federal court, beginning what they described as a difficult legal process from the outset.

“Lawyers didn’t want it because you’re fighting the federal government,” Carlos Lopez Sr. said.

They eventually secured representation from attorney Yana Hendriks, and the case proceeded to a federal bench trial. A judge ruled in favor of the VA in 2024, a decision the Lopezes have since appealed. The case is now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Oral arguments were heard April 24, and the family said a decision could take months. Whatever the outcome, the Lopezes said the case has evolved beyond their son alone.

“It started as a fight for our son, but it became something bigger for veterans and their families,” Juanita Lopez said.

Throughout the interview, they pointed to broader concerns about veteran suicide and PTSD, arguing the issue remains underrecognized.

 

A painting of the artwork “Forgiven” hangs beside a photo of Carlos Lopez Jr. at the entrance of the Lopez family home, part of the memorial they created in his honor.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ most recent National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, the veteran suicide rate was 35.2 per 100,000 veterans in 2023, compared with 16.9 per 100,000 among non-veteran U.S. adults. Veterans died by suicide at more than twice the rate of non-veterans.

“More people died from PTSD after the war than in the war,” Carlos Lopez Sr. said.

They said they hope their case prompts greater accountability and more attention to mental health care for veterans within the VA system.

“This was never about money,” Carlos Lopez Sr. said. “We wanted answers.”

The family has also worked to preserve Lopez Jr.’s creative legacy. After his death, his parents recovered a PTSD-focused film project from his computer titled “PTSD: An American Tragedy,” where he portrayed a combat veteran struggling after returning home and would eventually take his own life, a role that closely reflected his own experiences.

The family later held a public screening at Sacramento’s Crest Theatre as part of Lopez Jr.’s celebration of life shortly after his passing. It was the first time the film was ever shown on a big screen.

“We wanted people to know what he did in life,” Juanita Lopez said. “That was important.”

Now in another stage of their legal fight, the Lopezes said they remain committed to continuing the case regardless how long it may take.

“If they did this to our son,” Carlos Lopez Sr. said, “how many other veterans did this happen to?”

To learn more about his story or follow Carlos and Juanita Lopez’s case, visit ptsdanamericantragedy.com/never-forget or find them on Facebook at @carlos.juanita.lopez.