Yuma County Sheriff's Office, Arizona
End of Watch: Sunday, January 25, 1948
Age: 62
Tour of Duty: 13 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 24, 1948
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 70 years
Deputy Sheriff Sylvester Villa was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a burglary suspect.
He and two other deputies had tracked the suspect to a river, where they lost the track. The other two deputies returned to the patrol car while Deputy Villa began to backtrack the route. He located a man sleeping in the brush and nudged him with his foot. The man suddenly turned over and shot Deputy Villa in the groin. Deputy VIlla was transported to Yuma Hospital where he died a short time later.
The man, 27, fled the scene but was later apprehended. He was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 70 years in prison.
An annual shooting competition, the Sylvester Villa Match, is held in Yuma in Deputy Villa's honor.
Deputy Villa had served with the Yuma County Sheriff's Office for 13 years. He was survived by his wife and six children.