Santa Ana Police Department, California
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 30, 1998
Age: 43
Tour of Duty: 21 years
Badge Number: 1811
Cause of Death: Duty related illness
Date of Incident: January 28, 1998
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Sergeant John Aguilar died after contracting leukemia as a result of extended contact with benzene, a chemical known to be a carcinogen. This occurred while he was a member of the agency's narcotics unit. During that time, Sergeant Aguilar had conducted over 25 raids on drug labs containing the chemical. He was admitted to the hospital for treatment on January 28, 1998, and passed away on June 30, 1998.
Sergeant Aguilar had served with the Santa Ana Police Department for 11 years and had previously served with the California Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement for 10 years. He is survived by his wife, four daughters, and one grandson.