(GoRealNewsNow.com) – NEWS NOW: As confirmed by authorities, Sergeant Michael Kunovich of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office in Florida tragically lost his life to an 18-year-old homeless illegal alien from Guatemala.
“Sergeant Michael Kunovich’s life was tragically ended in the execution of his duty by an undocumented immigrant, a consequence of our unregulated border,” expressed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the bereaved Kunovich family. … The imprudent immigration policies of President Joe Biden are resulting in lethal outcomes – this is not an effective approach to governing a nation.”
On the night of May 19, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Kunovich initiated a pat-down on Vergilio Aguilar Mendez, who then tried to escape. Despite the arrival of additional deputies, Mendez persistently resisted arrest with marked aggression for more than six minutes, according to officials.
After his successful handcuffing, Mendez brought out a pocket knife which the deputies had to retrieve forcefully. A few moments later, Kunovich suffered a significant medical emergency, received emergency care, and sadly passed away, according to Sheriff Robert Hardwick, as The Florida Times Union reported.
Kunovich, 52, had served a commendable 25 years with the sheriff’s department.
The Homeland Security Investigations team is supporting the ongoing investigation, as the sheriff’s office informed.
According to The Times Union, Mendez’s arrest report revealed that fear of repatriation to Guatemala was the catalyst for his resistance to the pat-down outside a motel.
Official documents describe Mendez as a homeless migrant laborer from Colotenango, Guatemala, with a height between 5-foot-2 to 5-foot-4 and a weight between 115 to 130 pounds.
Mendez has been detained without the option of bail and faces charges of resisting an officer violently and committing murder during the act of resisting an officer, as reflected in the jail records.
Governor DeSantis has been resolute in his pursuit of curbing illegal immigration, making it a principal objective during his tenure as governor and continuing this stance in his 2024 presidential campaign.
