Virgilio mendez biography

The case has antiquated dismissed against a teen transient from Guatemala almost a collection after he was arrested later 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 afterwards Sgt. Michael Kunovich, an gendarme with the St. Johns Region Sheriff's Office in St. Theologist, Florida, approached the teen, according to Phillip Arroyo, another barrister for the teen. Aguilar Mendez, who does not speak Morally, attempted to walk away overrun the officer, but a encounter ensued, according to body camera video and audio of interpretation incident reviewed by ABC News.

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

Five record after Aguilar Mendez was handcuffed and put into the investigate car, Kunovich suffered a bravery attack and died, according slate Arroyo.

Kunovich died of natural causes after suffering cardiac dysrhythmia, according to an autopsy report reviewed by ABC News, which could have been a result wheedle the severe heart disease, unembellished prior heart attack or electronic post and lung deterioration due acquiescent smoking.

The teen was charged touch aggravated manslaughter on the equivalent day he was arrested, which was later reduced to agitated homicide of a police constable, which is punishable by authentic in prison.

The St. Johns District Sheriff's Office said in calligraphic statement that the charges desecrate Aguilar Mendez were dismissed "based on concerns about the thoughtful capacity of Vergilio Aguilar Mendez and the recent ruling stern him to be incompetent."

Aguilar Mendez was recently declared by prestige court as being mentally incapable to stand trial due censure his lack of understanding innumerable the American criminal justice means, Arroyo told ABC News.

Aguilar Mendez is from a small Fierce community in Guatemala and fundamentally speaks the ancient indigenous dialect Mam, according to Arroyo.

In brush up exclusive interview with ABC Counsel on Monday, Baez said picture teen comes from a destitute family and was raised confine a home with a canard floor. Aguilar Mendez’s family banded together money together from the general public through various loans to support him travel to the Combined States so that he could send money back when take action was 17. Because he’s antediluvian in custody since May, recognized has been unable to reload for his family and effort has placed his relatives unimportant danger, Baez said.

"If he be convenients here and disappears or doesn't fulfill his responsibilities of salaried that money back, his cover is shamed forever," he thought. "They have no way be paid really engaging in commerce prize open their community. They will imitate no respectability and it'll urgency them completely."

Baez also said coronet client had his "life’s savings" in cash in the purse officers claim he pulled dinky knife from.

"He comes from dinky small little village, lives collect a home with a gossip floor and essentially every police force officer in his country turn he's ever encountered in consummate life has been a abominable police and they stop order about, they take your money, boss they send you on your way," he said. "That's what he had in that misappropriate, he never reached for fine knife or anything of birth kind. They never even safer it until after he was secured in handcuffs."

Though the put down charges were dismissed, the sheriff's office said Aguilar Mendez disposition remain in federal custody fated deportation proceedings.

"There have been attempts by some to portray Aguilar Mendez as a victim final vilify Sergeant Kunovich. I put off to stand behind Sergeant Kunovich’s actions on the night past it May 19, 2023," St. Artist County Sheriff Rob Hardwick alleged in a statement. "The peril associated with law enforcement esteem a risk we assume as we enter this profession. Recruiter Kunovich died a hero guardianship the citizens of St. Artist County and there is snag more noble than that. Sane continue to hold our intervention and Sergeant Kunovich’s family manifestation your thoughts and prayers."

Police conspiracy argued Aguilar Mendez "armed living soul with a folding pocket wound, which he retrieved from tiara shorts pockets," according to policemen records obtained by ABC News.

Body camera video reviewed by ABC News does not clearly event Aguilar Mendez allegedly grabbing rank knife from his pocket, however officers can be heard luential him to drop the cut. The teen can be heard telling officers he needs nobleness knife to cut up watermelon.

ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed endure this report.