Memorial honors legacy of CHP officer
Thousands attend funeral for officer Andrew Camilleri, who was slain in line of duty by an alleged drunk driver
STOCKTON >> In a moving farewell, law enforcement officers from across the country joined family, friends and dignitaries Saturday in honoring the life of rookie California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew J. Camilleri, killed Christmas Eve by a suspected drunken driver.
The casket of the 33-yearold father of three arrived at the Christian Life Center under a heavy fog. Once inside the church, Camilleri’s family members approached the open, flag-draped coffin for their final goodbyes before some 2,000 in attendance.
Camilleri, a Tracy resident, was killed when a speeding Cadillac drifted off of Interstate 880 in Hayward and slammed into the back of his patrol SUV, which was parked on the shoulder. His partner Jonathan Velasquez, who was in the driver’s seat, was injured but survived.
Velasquez, who had not been scheduled to speak, remembered his partner of three months as a “family man” and a “great officer.” Head bowed, he choked up describing their “special bond” developed working the graveyard shift.
“I got to know a lot about Andrew and the special person he was,” Velasquez said. “… Andrew I know you can hear me. I love you and it was an honor being your partner. Rest in peace, brother.”
Nearby, Camilleri’s widow Rosanna clasped hands with the couple’s eldest child, 12-year-old Elizabeth, while speakers described the fallen officer as a dedicated family man and a hero who died protecting others.
The fallen officer’s brother Matthew delivered the eulogy, with their sister Ashley Wharton by his side. Matthew said his brother had met his future wife while the two were working at a McDonald’s. Camilleri was the manager. He wrote up Rosanna Lopez up for being late. Their working relationship bloomed into a romance and the two married in 2004. The couple has a daughter and two sons.
“Andrew was a role model for all to follow,” Matthew said. “Your beautiful and infectious smile will truly be missed.”
It was Camilleri’s lifelong dream to become a CHP officer. He had previously worked for a pest control company. He graduated from the academy in March last year.
“Andrew’s father, Mike, talked of how Andrew would call and text him all hours of the night telling him how much he loved his job, whether it was helping a disabled motorist or issuing citations to speeding drivers because Andrew liked to drive fast,” said Capt. Tim Pearson, commander of the Hayward division where Camilleri worked.
Acting CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley presented Camilleri’s wife with a red box containing his badge, No. 21653.
Moments of humor were mixed in with the grief.
Pearson addressed Camilleri’s daughter Elizabeth, saying her father used to say he couldn’t wait for her first date.
“Your father had a great sense of humor and said he was going to have a bunch of fellow officers over at the house cleaning their guns when the young man came to pick you up,” Pearson said. “Roxie, when that day comes give us a call and we’ll be there.”
Doug Diestler, Camilleri’s pastor at Mission City Church in Tracy, said he and his wife were active in the community, always on the front lines helping others.
“His life mattered and it made a difference to everyone in this room,” Diestler said. “This is what we call legacy, what people will remember when you’re gone.”
A fund has been established to assist Camilleri’s family.