Guatemalan illegal migrant accused in police sergeant's death is released
Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, 19, had been charged with aggravated manslaughter of an officer, but the case was dismissed earlier this month
By Michael Dorgan , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten Fox News
Published March 16, 2024 8:54pm EDT
A Guatemalan illegal immigrant accused of killing a police officer last year has been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, 19, was charged with aggravated manslaughter of an officer after a scuffle involving several law enforcement officers in May 2023.
St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Michael Kunovich died as a result of the incident, but charges against Mendez were dropped last month.
On Friday, Aguilar Mendez's lawyer, Phillip Arroyo, shared a TikTok video showing the moment Mendez was released for the first time since May 2023. The video shows the teen smiling and nodding while speaking with Arroyo as they walk toward a camera.
"Virgilio Aguilar finally FREE! God is great," Arroyo wrote in a caption in Spanish.
The release comes 10 months after Kunovich, 52, collapsed from "medical distress" during the encounter with Aguilar Mendez, who was 18 at the time. The officer later died.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Kunovich initially approached Aguilar Mendez about 9 p.m. on May 19, suspecting him of a crime. Aguilar Mendez then continued walking away from the deputy.
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