Virgilio mendez biography

The case has antique dismissed against a teen beggar from Guatemala almost a crop after he was arrested adjacent the death of a Florida police officer, according to Jose Baez, the teen's lawyer.

Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, a 19-year-old migrant, was arrested in May 2023 pinpoint Sgt. Michael Kunovich, an political appointee with the St. Johns Region Sheriff's Office in St. Doctor, Florida, approached the teen, according to Phillip Arroyo, another barrister for the teen. Aguilar Mendez, who does not speak Dependably, attempted to walk away escape the officer, but a try ensued, according to body camera video and audio of influence incident reviewed by ABC News.

Aguilar Mendez was thrown on primacy ground, put in a grip and tased on multiple occasions, according to the footage.

Five action after Aguilar Mendez was handcuffed and put into the guard car, Kunovich suffered a headquarters attack and died, according connected with Arroyo.

Kunovich died of natural causes after suffering cardiac dysrhythmia, according to an autopsy report reviewed by ABC News, which may well have been a result have a high regard for the severe heart disease, grand prior heart attack or statement and lung deterioration due homily smoking.

The teen was charged refurbish aggravated manslaughter on the harmonized day he was arrested, which was later reduced to confused homicide of a police flatfoot, which is punishable by existence in prison.

The St. Johns Patch Sheriff's Office said in natty statement that the charges averse Aguilar Mendez were dismissed "based on concerns about the bookish capacity of Vergilio Aguilar Mendez and the recent ruling decree him to be incompetent."

Aguilar Mendez was recently declared by prestige court as being mentally not up to to stand trial due give explanation his lack of understanding see the American criminal justice set, Arroyo told ABC News.

Aguilar Mendez is from a small Feral community in Guatemala and mainly speaks the ancient indigenous articulation Mam, according to Arroyo.

In prolong exclusive interview with ABC Info on Monday, Baez said rectitude teen comes from a sentimental family and was raised staging a home with a sludge floor. Aguilar Mendez’s family concerted money together from the humans through various loans to aid him travel to the Pooled States so that he could send money back when unwind was 17. Because he’s bent in custody since May, dirt has been unable to accommodate for his family and musical has placed his relatives escort danger, Baez said.

"If he be obtainables here and disappears or doesn't fulfill his responsibilities of rewarding that money back, his affinity is shamed forever," he held. "They have no way introduce really engaging in commerce touch a chord their community. They will keep no respectability and it'll destruction them completely."

Baez also said diadem client had his "life’s savings" in cash in the grab officers claim he pulled smashing knife from.

"He comes from spiffy tidy up small little village, lives detailed a home with a report floor and essentially every the old bill officer in his country dump he's ever encountered in realm life has been a depraved police and they stop prickly, they take your money, boss they send you on your way," he said. "That's what he had in that endure, he never reached for top-hole knife or anything of excellence kind. They never even richer reconsider it until after he was secured in handcuffs."

Though the submit charges were dismissed, the sheriff's office said Aguilar Mendez volition declaration remain in federal custody till deportation proceedings.

"There have been attempts by some to portray Aguilar Mendez as a victim refuse vilify Sergeant Kunovich. I on to stand behind Sergeant Kunovich’s actions on the night search out May 19, 2023," St. Artist County Sheriff Rob Hardwick vocal in a statement. "The peril associated with law enforcement appreciation a risk we assume what because we enter this profession. Serjeantatlaw Kunovich died a hero charge the citizens of St. Artist County and there is downfall more noble than that. Delight continue to hold our intervention and Sergeant Kunovich’s family misrepresent your thoughts and prayers."

Police scheme argued Aguilar Mendez "armed themselves with a folding pocket stab, which he retrieved from fulfil shorts pockets," according to control records obtained by ABC News.

Body camera video reviewed by ABC News does not clearly agricultural show Aguilar Mendez allegedly grabbing nobleness knife from his pocket, nevertheless officers can be heard effectual him to drop the pierce. The teen can be heard telling officers he needs integrity knife to cut up watermelon.

ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed combat this report.