Officer Juan Nieblas Cruz - Arizona Dept. of Public Safety - True Life Hero

Juan Nieblas Cruz
- Dec. 09, 1998 -

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Arizona Dept. of Public Safety Patch

Resided:	Tucson (Pima County) AZ, USA
Born:	Unk
Fallen:	Dec. 09, 1998
Race/Sex:	Hispanic Male / 48 yrs. of age
	Agency
Dept:	Arizona Dept. of Public Safety 2102 W Encanto Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85009-2847 USA (602)223-2000
County:	Maricopa
Dept. Type:	State/Police
Hero's Rank:	Officer
Sworn Date:	1982
FBI Class:	Traffic - Drunk Driver
Weapon Class:	Vehicle
Agency URL:	Click Here
Badge:	3111
On The Job:	17 years

Bio: Cruz began his career with DPS in 1982 and served in the highway patrol and criminal investigations divisions in Kearny, Bisbee and Tucson.

In October, he shared in a unit citation given highway patrol officers in his district, which covers Pima and Santa Cruz counties. The award was given for the officers� efforts in traffic enforcement and collision reduction in the district, Vidaure said.

In 1992, Cruz shot a fellow DPS officer during a narcotics raid on Tucson�s North Side. A bullet from his .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol struck officer Jaime Aviles in the torso, but was stopped by his bulletproof vest.

A DPS spokesman said Cruz mistook Aviles for an armed suspect trying to escape.

DPS Lt. David Denlinger said Cruz also was given an award for saving a collision victim�s life in December 1994.

Denlinger said a woman was trapped in a car that had rolled onto its roof in a mud bog along Interstate 19 south of Tucson and was sinking, forcing the woman�s head under water.

Cruz could not free her, so he crawled into the sinking car and held her head above water until rescue workers arrived and freed her .

�He was dedicated, proud of his job, proud of his uniform,� Denlinger said of Cruz.

Gillette said she�d worked with him and known him for 10 years.

�He was a very nice man, he got a lot of compliments from the public. He got along well with people,� she said. �He talked a lot about his family, he was very close to his family.�

Denlinger said Cruz was a talented musician who played guitar and piano.

Cruz is the first DPS officer to die in the line of duty in the Tucson area since Oct. 31, 1990, when Sgt. John Blaser , 36, and officer David Gabrielli , 43, were struck and killed by a suspected drunken driver while they investigated a one-car fatality on South Old Nogales Highway about 1 1/2 miles south of West Valencia Road.

Survived by:

Amelia Fimbres, of Douglas - Mother
his children, Celina Aguilar, 28; Marissa Long, 26; Cynthia Cruz, 22; Juan Cruz Jr., 19; and Lisa Cruz, 12; seven brothers and sisters.

Diana Leon - Other
fianc�

Fatal Incident Summary

Offender:	Marissa Anne Rodriguez :: Hispanic / Female - 21 years old Rodriguez had been celebrating her 21st birthday at a local bar before she drove through flares and safety cones, killing Officer Cruz. She has been through the court system before. Rodriguez pleaded guilty last year to being a minor in possession of alcohol and paid a $125 fine, Pima County Justice Court records show. Tucson City Court records were not available yesterday. She also had three referrals to Pima County Juvenile Court in 1993 and 1994, two for running away from home and one for a curfew violation, juvenile court spokeswoman Gabriela Rico said. Rodriguez�s most recent referral was in October 1994, for running away. Her sentences weren�t available. Rodriguez attended Pueblo High School in 1994 and 1995 and withdrew after her sophomore year. It couldn�t be determined if she transferred to another school.

Location:	AZ USA Wed. Dec. 09, 1998
Summary:	Officer Cruz was killed when his patrol car was rear-ended while he was investigating another accident on I-10. Officer Cruz was sitting in his patrol car, which was parked in the left lane with emergency lights activated, when the accident occurred. The patrol car burst into flames and, as another officer attempted to free him, a small explosion occurred. The vehicle that struck him had driven through a line of flares and didn't slow down before the impact. The driver of that vehicle, who turned 21 the day before the accident, was taken to a local hospital and a homicide investigation was started. The collision sent both cars spinning, and the Rodriguez car hit officer John Talakte, 29, who was standing outside Cruz� car talking to the officer. The impact vaulted Talakte into the air and onto the center median, Foust said. Talakte suffered shoulder injuries requiring surgery. A third officer, Mike Diaz, 39, ran to Cruz� car when it was struck and tried to open the jammed door, but he was driven back by an explosion. Diaz was not injured, Foust said. A tow truck driver who was in the area in connection with the earlier, non-fatal crash told officers the Cruz car caught fire almost immediately after impact, Foust said. The tow truck operator tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher, but two explosions drove him back. Officer Cruz had been with the department for 17 years and is survived by five children and fiancee. He was planning on being remarried on December 24th.
Disposition:	Office investigators Rodriguez had a BAC of .168. On April 12, 2000, Rodriguez entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault. Rodriguez plead guilty to vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
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Last Updated: May. 29, 2019