San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus identified Hector Cuevas Jr., a six-year veteran of the department, as the deputy killed during a high-speed pursuit crash on Monday. Cuevas, 36, was chasing a stolen vehicle driven by Ryan Dwayne Turner Jr., 22, when his patrol car collided with another vehicle and a light pole, splitting the car in half. Cuevas was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle, Marcelline Demyan, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The pursuit began around 11 a.m. when deputies spotted the stolen vehicle in Victorville. Turner fled on foot after stopping the car but was soon apprehended. He faces charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, evading a peace officer, and causing death or serious injury, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Cuevas, described as a “cop’s cop” and a devoted family man, leaves behind a wife, two children, his parents, and two siblings. He was also known in the community as a high school football coach. Sheriff Dicus praised Cuevas as “the type of law enforcement officer that we all want to be” and expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
The Sheriff’s Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating the crash to determine its cause. The intersection where the crash occurred was closed for the rest of the day, and a solemn procession escorted Cuevas’s body to the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office. Governor Gavin Newsom extended condolences, acknowledging Cuevas’s dedication to his community.
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