Aurea Esther Diaz-Encarnacion
Agency patch
Police Officer

Aurea Esther Diaz-Encarnacion

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127
Felonious
End of Watch July 11, 1993
Age 40
The Vigil Panel 139 ›
Gender Female

Incident

Police Officer Aurea Esther Diaz-Encarnacion died when a person entered her residence and shot her in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. Officer Diaz-Encarnacion was sleeping in her living room when someone knocked on her door. When her nephew opened the door, the assailant opened fire. Officer Diaz-Encarnacion tried to repel the attack but was shot in the back. Her nephew was wounded during the incident. Her murderer committed suicide two days later during a police chase. Officer Diaz-Encarnacion was assigned to the Sex Crimes Division of Criminal Investigation Corps in Carolina. She was the first female police officer from her department to be killed in the line of duty and she was honored at Police Week 1988 as Police Woman of the Year for Puerto Rico.

Survivors

She is survived by her two children.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Diaz-Encarnacion 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, Police Officer Diaz-Encarnacion.

— 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 July 11, 1993
Age 40
Gender Female

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Aurea 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 1993, 101 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 51st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Aurea was 40. 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 she stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

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 gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

Her people

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

Across the years

Police Officer Aurea Esther Diaz-Encarnacion

Puerto Rico Police Department · End of Watch July 11, 1993

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 3-E

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