[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF AUGUSTINE ``GUS'' ORTIZ VEGAS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARK DeSAULNIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 23, 2016

  Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleague Congressman 
Mike Thompson, rise to recognize the life and service of Augustine 
``Gus'' Ortiz Vegas, who served honorably for fifteen years with the 
Richmond Police Department in Contra Costa County.
  A lifelong Bay Area resident, Mr. Vegas was born on August 8, 1957, 
in San Francisco and moved to nearby Vallejo as a young child. He was a 
member of the 1976 graduating class of St. Patrick's High School in 
Vallejo, where he excelled at track, football, and wrestling.
  Those who knew Mr. Vegas admired him for his generosity and his 
empathy. Together with his wife Sandra, he ran a non-profit called 
Fostering Greatness that offered mentoring, clothing, and other 
resources to children in the local foster care system.
  In his professional career, Mr. Vegas always focused on keeping 
others safe. His first job was as Operator at the Equilon refinery in 
Martinez, California, where he was also a rescue team member and 
auxiliary firefighter. In 1990, he graduated as the Valedictorian of 
the Napa Valley College Police Academy, and in 2001, began his career 
with the Richmond Police Department.
  Officer Vegas applied his tremendous ability to connect with others 
to his work where he fully embodied the ideals of community policing. 
He went beyond simply deterring crime and arresting suspects to having 
genuine empathy and a connection to the community he served.
  Officer Vegas's aptitude was recognized within the department and he 
became a property crimes detective rising through the department to 
become a homicide detective. In these roles, he was not only adept at 
solving crimes, but shined in his ability to provide empathy and 
closure for victims' families. Officer Vegas was versatile in his 
professional abilities due to his gift to connect with others. In his 
last assignment, he worked closely with agencies like the Richmond City 
Attorney's Office and the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) to enforce the 
City of Richmond's Municipal Codes.
  Officer Vegas cared deeply about his family and considered them the 
most important part of his life. Congressman Thompson and I send our 
deepest condolences to Officer Vegas' family, including Sandra, his 
wife of 32 years, their five sons, five daughters, and 22 
grandchildren. Officer Vegas made a lasting impression on our 
community, and he will be greatly missed.

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