Geraldo A. Santiago-Vazquez

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127

Felonious

End of Watch October 9, 1997

Age 32

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

The Vigil Panel 144 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 363

Incident

Officer Geraldo Santiago-Vazquez was killed while attempting to arrest a robbery suspect in Aibonito, Puerto Rico. Officer Santiago-Vazquez responded to a call of a robbery just committed in the neighboring town of Barranquitas, and caught up with a suspect matching the description. The suspect, who turned out to be an escaped fugitive, gained control of Officer Santiago-Vazquez's service weapon in the middle of a struggle and shot him once in the chest, killing him instantly. In the same incident, Agent Dixon Matos-Colon was also killed later in the day, but not before shooting the suspect and injuring him. He was charged with two counts of first degree murder, assault, robbery, illegal weapon and escaping prison. Officer Geraldo Santiago-Vazquez served the Puerto Rico Police Department for 11 years, and was assigned to the Aibonito District.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PR-54FC0480
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
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.
Agent Santiago-Vazquez gave the Puerto Rico Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Juan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Agent Santiago-Vazquez.

— 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 October 9, 1997

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Not available

Agent Geraldo A. Santiago-Vazquez 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