Sheriff ’s deputy dies from COVID-19
A Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy has died from COVID-19, the agency’s second fatality of the pandemic.
Deputy Juan Menchaca Jr., 70, died Saturday of the virus, HCSO officials said on Twitter. He was a 14-year veteran of the agency and most recently assigned to the courts division.
“Deputy Menchaca was a beloved member of our family, and he will be terribly missed by all of us who had the honor of knowing him,” Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. “I ask the entire community to lift up Deputy Menchaca, his wife, Melissa, and their entire family in their prayers.”
Melissa Menchaca said her husband, whom they called “Johnny,” loved sports bars and playing the guitar. He was always serious at work but had a silly side when he arrived home. “He loved to laugh,” she said. They have seven children and 10 grandchildren.
One of Menchaca’s daughters, Leslie Gracia, said she wanted the public to know that COVID-19 is still out there and remains a serious virus.
“It’s very heartbreaking to see your loved one on a ventilator, fighting for their life,” she said.
Deputies gathered Saturday afternoon to transport Menchaca’s body, held in a flag-draped casket, from the hospital to a funeral home.
The funeral plans have not been finalized yet, according to the agency.
He is the second Harris County Sheriff ’s Office deputy to die from the novel coronavirus. The first death in the sheriff ’s office was Sgt. Raymond Scholwinski, 70, who died May 6. He was one of the first known corona virus related fatalities among Houston-area law enforcement agencies.
The agency said it has 15 employees hospitalized with COVID-19. It has had 332 employees test positive during the pandemic, and 254 have recovered.
While Houston police have reported a steep increase in cases since downtown protests and a massive march over the death of George Floyd, the sheriff’s office said it did not have “a serious uptick” to report.