Ernesto Caballero-Vega
Agency patch
Pilot Officer

Ernesto Caballero-Vega

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127
Felonious
End of Watch April 5, 1997
Age 27
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Ernesto Caballero-Vega was shot and killed while pursuing two fugitives while off-duty in San Juan, PR. Around 10:30am, Officer Caballero-Vega noticed two men when they carjacked an elder person and followed in pursuit while in plain clothing. When the carjackers reached Los Cappa Road in the Cupey neighborhood their vehicle crashed and a shootout broke out resulting in the shooting of the officer. Both suspects had escaped from a prison ambulance days before and both were apprehended hours after the shooting. They were charged locally with weapons act, kidnapping and escape, and federally with carjacking under the felony murder rule, and were both sentenced to life in prison. Officer Ernesto Caballero-Vega had served with the Puerto Rico Police Department for four years and was named 1996 Police Officer of the Year. He was assigned to the San Juan Anti-Crime Unit (Saturacion).

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Pilot Officer Caballero-Vega gave the Puerto Rico Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Juan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Pilot Officer Caballero-Vega.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location San Juan, 127
Platform Identity prpd.pr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 5, 1997
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Ernesto is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1997, 88 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 71st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Ernesto was 27. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Ernesto had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

April holds 8.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Puerto Rico Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Ernesto among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Pilot Officer Ernesto Caballero-Vega

Puerto Rico Police Department · End of Watch April 5, 1997

Where the Name Is Cut

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