Policeman

Ricardo A. Vargas-Alvira

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127
Felonious
End of Watch August 4, 1989
Age 31
Gender Male

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.

In Our Keeping

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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.
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

Type 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

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Ricardo is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 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 1989, 97 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 55th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Ricardo was 31. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38.

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

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 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, Ricardo among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Policeman Ricardo A. Vargas-Alvira

Puerto Rico Police Department · End of Watch August 4, 1989

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 35-E

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