Coronel remembered as respected o cer, coach and friend
EL CENTRO — Efren Coronel will not be remembered simply as another patient who died in the pandemic.
His various roles, sacrifice and involvement in the community have ensured that he’ll instead be remembered as a true hero in El Centro history — a legacy that his loved ones will surely carry on.
He was a proud father, husband, brother, coach and public servant. He was most known for his nearly 24-year career as an El Centro police officer.
Officer Coronel contracted the virus on duty while dealing with a suspect. He had been hospitalized in San Diego over the past three weeks.
On Wednesday afternoon, he was taken off of life support at Sharp Memorial Hospital and peacefully passed away.
He was 51 years old. He is survived by his wife, Sandra, as well as his teenage son, Sebastian Efren, and daughter, Galilea.
“On behalf of the El Centro Police Department, we extend our deepest condolences to the family of Officer Coronel,” ECPD Chief Brian Johnson stated in a news release.
After graduating from Brawley Union High School in 1987, Coronel spent some years working at the General Dynamics facility in Imperial.
ECPD Cmdr. Ray Bonillas also spent some time working there. However, his and Coronel’s paths didn’t cross until years later when they were both in the police department.
Coronel began as a community service officer in 1994 before becoming a police officer on Dec. 17, 1996.
Bonillas, like others on the force, knew Coronel since he first joined ECPD, and their friendship continued through the years.
Before his end of watch, Coronel earned the rank of senior patrol officer and was assigned Officer in Charge for his patrol team.
Coronel’s past assignments included patrol (both day and night), traffic investigations, homicide detective and the department’s SWAT team.
Coronel had plenty of face time with the community during his years as Central Union High School’s school resource officer, which required him not only to ensure student safety but also mentor at-risk students.
Bonillas got to know Coronel very well during his tenure as a motor officer. The two were assigned as partners, and would patrol together on their twowheeled units.
“I could tell you there’s no other individual in the organization that I truly enjoyed working with as much as him,” Bonillas said.
Outside of his hardened shell as a police officer, Bonillas said Coronel could best be described as a jolly person.
“I couldn’t think of anybody that would have anything bad to say about Efren,” Bonillas said. “He was just one of those persons who got along with anyone, and would help anyone out that’s within the organization and outside the organization within our community.”
Bonillas said he got to know not only Coronel but also his family over the years.
“Not only as an officer, but as a brother,” Bonillas said. “He was a proud father.”
The commander recalled an occasion when Coronel truly showed his pride in being a father.
Coronel’s son, who graduated from CUHS this year, was a kicker for the school’s football team.
During a football game between Imperial High School and CUHS in 2017, the game was in double overtime.
Bonillas, an IHS graduate, was sitting on the visitor’s side of Cal Jones Field, while Coronel supported his son from the home side.
The two ECPD officers were talking to each other on the phone just as the game reached its final minutes.
The game came down to a field goal attempt, which Sebastian successfully made to win the game, 24-21.
“With him being on the phone, I can only hear his voice, but I can only imagine how proud he was,” Bonillas said.
One thing Coronel never told his partner, however, was why he became a police officer.
“In my eyes, one of the reasons was his ability to get along well with people — and to try to solve their problems, and make this world a better place,” Bonillas said.
He explained that the loss of Coronel can already be felt within the organization.
“He’ll be missed greatly,” Bonillas said. “This is one of those individuals that touched everybody’s heart and soul within this organization.”
While he wasn’t on duty, Coronel enjoyed spending his time volunteering and coaching for local youth sports teams.
He coached T-ball, and the Dynamo El Centro Soccer Club soccer teams that his son and daughter played on.
“She is a darn good soccer player,” Bonillas said of Galilea.
Coronel was also a board member for Dynamo, as well as a coach and mentor with the El Centro PAL program.
Word of Coronel’s passing has already spread past Imperial County limits.
Multiple law enforcement agencies have spoken about Coronel’s death via social media. These include California Highway Patrol commissioner Warren Stanley and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Narcotics.
State Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday issued a statement regarding Coronel’s death.
“The death of this law enforcement hero is a painful and real reminder of the risks these women and men face every single day protecting the people of California,” Newsom said in his statement. “In honor of Officer Coronel, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.”
Locally, Coronel will receive a hero’s welcome when he returns to the Imperial Valley.
On Monday, ECPD will be traveling to San Diego to bring their fallen officer back home. As his death is considered on-duty, full honors will be given for this procession.
On Friday, parents and players from Dynamo decided to hold their own drive-by parade to honor their late coach.
A caravan that stretched down the entire neighborhood drove by Coronel’s family home at 7 p.m.
Players and parents from all age levels participated. Letters, flowers, posters and cards were dropped off in front of the home.
Among the dozens of parents participating in the caravan was Miguel Garcia.
He recalled how Coach Efren allowed his daughter, who was born in 2008, to play with the 2006 girls.
“He saw that she had some potential, so she played for him for the last two and half years,” Garcia said.
Garcia explained that Coronel wasn’t the stereotypical tough coach. Instead, his “contagious smile and laughter” was often present during practices.
“Efren was a kind-hearted, friendly guy in life,” he said. “And that’s exactly how he coached his girls. He didn’t just coach them about playing soccer, he coached them about life as well — just how to be good people overall.”
Garcia felt that the turnout on Friday was an accurate representation of how much the Dynamo community cared for Coronel.
“Efren was loved by everybody he came into contact with, Dynamo or not,” he said.
Sitting at the start of Friday’s caravan was Ricardo Munguia.
About five years ago,
Coronel, who coached the 2006 team at the time, invited Munguia’s daughter to play for the team.
She accepted, and Munguia began attending practices. He developed an interest in coaching, although Coronel explained to him that he couldn’t officially be a coach without his license. (Coronel who most recently coached the Dynamo 2008 girls, himself had a U.S. Soccer Federation national “E” license.)
Munguia eventually attended school, earned his license and was co-coach with Coronel for a number of years.
While Munguia felt that Friday’s parade was a respectable gesture, he said it wasn’t enough to truly honor Coronel.
“It’s never going to be enough.”
For Munguia, Coronel was more than just a great person, great coach and respected police officer.
“He was my best friend,” he said.