Honoring 2 Fallen Heroes

Honoring

Deputy Sheriff Hector Cuevas, Jr.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, California

EOW: March 17, 2025 | Age: 36 | Tour: 6 Years

Deputy Sheriff Hector Cuevas was killed when his patrol car struck a pole at the intersection of El Evado and Seneca roads just before 11 a.m. Deputy Cuevas was in pursuit of a stolen vehicle that had been reported to the department just minutes earlier. During the high-speed chase, Deputy Sheriff Cuevas' vehicle collided with another car and then a nearby power pole. The impact of the crash split the patrol vehicle in half, critically injuring Deputy Sheriff Cuevas. Although first responders rushed to administer aid, he passed away at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the stolen vehicle was apprehended a short time later and is in custody, charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, evading a police officer, and causing death or serious injury. He had a history of evading law enforcement and a lengthy criminal record for vehicular thefts. Deputy Sheriff Cuevas had served with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for six years. He is survived by his wife, two children, his parents, and his brother and sister.

Honoring

Sergeant Grant Candies

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana

EOW: March 23, 2025 | Age: 37 | Tour: 9 Years

Sergeant Grant Candies was killed by the driver fleeing a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Slidell near the Oak Harbor exit. Just after midnight, Sergeant Candies was deploying a spike strip to assist with stopping the vehicle pursuit when he was struck and killed by the suspects. The suspects, all juveniles, continued to evade St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs on Interstate 10 into Orleans Parish, where their vehicle crashed into a New Orleans Police Department unit near Crowder Boulevard at approximately 12:30 a.m. All suspects were apprehended, and the driver was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated flight. The New Orleans Police Department officer in the unit struck by the suspects was injured but was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released from the hospital. Sergeant Candies was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had served with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office for nine years. In 2023, he saved two lives and was named St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy of the Year. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Disclaimer:

This information is supplied by the Officer Down Memorial Page (www.odmp.org) and the U.S. Fire Administration (www.apps.usfa.fema.gov).

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First Responder Benefit Association (FRBA) is our nonprofit founded to fill the gap of financial hardship that can often burden families of fallen First Responders. The First Responder Task Force funds 100% of FRBA’s administrative and operational expenses so that 100% of public donations go directly to aiding the families in need.

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*The $5,000 survivor benefit is paid when a line of duty death occurs. Line of duty is defined as AFBA members who are Emergency Service Providers to include law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical services providers who are killed while involved in operations at or responding to/from the scene of an incident. If death occurs otherwise, outside of a suicide, the beneficiary will receive a $2000 benefit.

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