Jose Guerena Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth

In September 2013, the four police agencies involved agreed to pay Guerena’s wife and children $3.4 million as a settlement, without admitting wrongdoing in their killing of Guerena.

In September 2013, Pima County, the towns of Sahuarita, Marana, and Oro Valley, approved a combined settlement of $3.4 million to Guerena’s widow, with Pima County contributing $2.35 million, Sahuarita, $260,000, Marana, $720,000, and Oro Valley, $100,000. The settlements required approval from each jurisdictions board, with only one board member from Pima county dissenting. Pima County officials claim that the settlement does not imply wrongdoing.

Ten months after the raids and the killing, on March 2, 2012, Guerena’s two brothers Alejandro Guerena, 28, and Gerardo Guerena, 24; along with Alejandro’s wife, Pauline Guerena, his sister-in-law, Denise Ruiz, and his father-in-law, Jose Celaya were indicted, and it was alleged that they imported and sold at least $4.9 million worth of marijuana between 2005 and the time of the fatal raid. Alejandro Guerena, the alleged leader of the smuggling operation, was arrested in Mexico, returned to Pima County, and on June 25, 2013, was sentenced to 105 days in jail plus five years of probation after pleading guilty to attempted possession of marijuana for sale and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Pauline Guerena plead guilty to one count of attempted money laundering in the second degree, and was sentenced to four years probation. Denise Ruiz pleaded guilty to facilitation of possession of marijuana for sale and received an identical sentence to Alejandro. There is still an outstanding warrant for Gerardo Guerena. Celaya posted a $50,000 bond.

Jose Guerena was a U.S. Marine veteran who served in the Iraq War and was killed in his Tucson, Arizona, home, on May 5, 2011, by deputies of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team, while they were executing a warrant to search his home in relation to an investigation into illegal marijuana smuggling from Mexico.

Guerena’s widow states that she had no knowledge that the man she saw pointing a gun at her through the window was a police officer, and thought that he was part of a home invasion group. She has stated that two members of her sister-in-law’s family were killed previously in a home invasion. As of May 2011, that case, in which Cynthia and Manny Orozco were killed and their 2-year-old daughter seriously injured, remains unsolved.

Upon request of Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, a judge sealed the search warrants as well as the documents showing what items were seized from the home. Dupnik stated this was to protect the identity of a confidential informant and criticized the press for wanting to know the details of the case. On June 2, 2011 the Pima County Superior Court released the warrants and other information related to the raid, but redacted some material to protect the identity of a confidential informant.

On August 12, 2011 it was announced that the family of Jose Guerena filed an intention to sue Pima County Sheriff Dupnik, and all the officers who shot Guerena or were part of the raid, offering to settle for $20 million. The lawsuit cites that the officers acted with negligence when they failed to announce themselves and put Guerena’s wife and son in danger, and willingly deprived Guerena of medical attention after he was shot, leading to his death, and violated his civil rights. Christopher Scileppi and Pat Broom, Tucson attorneys, were hired to represent the family. Scileppi says the lawsuit is meant to hold those accountable for Guerena’s death and send a message to officers who have unlawfully killed citizens, as well as to clear Jose Guerena’s name. The lawyer for the officers, however, said that the lawsuit is only to cause more “hysteria” and the amount is excessive since the officers had already been cleared of wrongdoing, while also admitting that, had officers been peacefully allowed into the home, everyone inside “probably … wouldn’t have been arrested.”

A computer search revealed Guerena had no history of criminal convictions. Guerena had been arrested in January 2009 after being involved in a traffic stop with two other individuals where a gun and a small amount of marijuana were found, but was not charged. In the affidavit filed to support the search warrant, Pima Detective Alex Tisch had claimed that Guerena had “five felony arrests involving drugs” but no convictions.