Ricardo A. Vargas-Alvira

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127

Felonious

End of Watch August 4, 1989

Age 31

The Vigil Panel 135 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 363

Incident

Policeman Ricardo Vargas-Alvira and Policeman Jose Torres-Gomez were shot and killed while transporting a drunk citizen. They had located the subject laying on the side of PR-3. The subject was known to both officers as a regular drunk and they offered to give him a ride in order to get him off of the highway. The subject had a concealed handgun that the officers did not find when they searched him. He shot both officers as they drove along PR-3 in Patillas, Puerto Rico. Both officers were assigned to the Patillas District.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-PR-C3E5A780
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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Policeman Vargas-Alvira served with the Puerto Rico Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the San Juan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Policeman Vargas-Alvira.

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

Agency

Department Puerto Rico Police Department

Location San Juan, 127

Platform Identity prpd.pr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 4, 1989

Age 31

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Not available

Policeman Ricardo A. Vargas-Alvira is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In 127, 294 of 388 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75.8% of this state's fallen. That is 21.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Puerto Rico Police Department, 279 of 364 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.6% of this agency's fallen.

Puerto Rico Police Department

279

of 364 officers

76.6% Felonious

127 — Statewide

294

of 388 officers

75.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious