I was born in Medellín, Colombia. When I was thirteen years old, my father and I boarded a plane and headed north. I had never flown before. I still remember the flight attendant handing me a warm napkin — I thought it was something to eat. It was a small moment, but it captured how new and unfamiliar everything was.
We landed in New York and soon made our way to Providence, Rhode Island, where we stayed with my uncle. I didn’t speak English. I didn’t have a proper coat, I had only the clothes I brought with me and the hope that this country might offer something more than hardship.
Months later, my mother, grandmother, and siblings joined us. Their arrival gave me strength. My grandmother’s faith and my mother’s determination grounded me during those early years. Adjusting was not easy. School was tough. I struggled with the language and with feeling like I didn’t belong. I remember one incident when someone mocked my sneakers. It led to a fight and a suspension. My father sat me down and said something I have never forgotten: “You came to this country to make something happen.”
Those words changed my direction. I didn’t go back to school just to fit in — I went back to build a future.
We landed in New York and soon made our way to Providence, Rhode Island, where we stayed with my uncle. I didn’t speak English. I didn’t have a proper coat, I had only the clothes I brought with me and the hope that this country might offer something more than hardship.
Months later, my mother, grandmother, and siblings joined us. Their arrival gave me strength. My grandmother’s faith and my mother’s determination grounded me during those early years. Adjusting was not easy. School was tough. I struggled with the language and with feeling like I didn’t belong. I remember one incident when someone mocked my sneakers. It led to a fight and a suspension. My father sat me down and said something I have never forgotten: “You came to this country to make something happen.”
Those words changed my direction. I didn’t go back to school just to fit in — I went back to build a future.
Public Service | Giving Back
I learned English, focused on my studies at Roger Williams Middle School and then graduated from Central High School. From there, I committed myself to public service and joined the Providence Police Department. What began as a job quickly became a calling.
Over the past 29 years, I have had the privilege of serving in many roles — Patrol Officer, Youth Service Detective, and leadership positions across multiple divisions. Patrol work grounded me in the realities of our neighborhoods. As a Youth Service Detective, I worked closely with young people and their families, which deepened my understanding of the challenges they face. As I moved into leadership, I came to believe even more strongly that policing is not just about enforcement — it is about service, trust, and accountability.
Education has been an important part of my growth. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice from Roger Williams University and later completed a Master’s in Criminal Justice at Boston University. I also pursued leadership development, graduating from Leadership Rhode Island, completing executive training at the Harvard Kennedy School, and becoming a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Each experience strengthened my commitment to thoughtful and ethical leadership.
Along the way, I have been honored with commendations for assisting FBI narcotics operations and helping apprehend individuals involved in violent crimes. Those recognitions are meaningful, but what matters most to me is the trust of the community. I have always believed the badge represents responsibility — responsibility to protect life, to act with integrity, and to treat every person with dignity. In nearly three decades of service, I have only fired my weapon twice. Being an officer is not about violence — it is about saving lives.
Today, I stand proud as the first Latino police chief in Providence’s history. That title is not just about me. It represents every immigrant child who has ever felt different, struggled to belong, or wondered if they had a place here.
When the weight of the job feels heavy, I think back to that thirteen-year-old boy stepping off a plane, unsure of what lay ahead. I think about the small apartment on Elma Street, about my father’s words, about my mother’s strength. Providence is no longer just the city that welcomed my family — it is the city I have dedicated my life to protecting.
My story is one of opportunity and service. And it continues every day I put on the uniform.
Over the past 29 years, I have had the privilege of serving in many roles — Patrol Officer, Youth Service Detective, and leadership positions across multiple divisions. Patrol work grounded me in the realities of our neighborhoods. As a Youth Service Detective, I worked closely with young people and their families, which deepened my understanding of the challenges they face. As I moved into leadership, I came to believe even more strongly that policing is not just about enforcement — it is about service, trust, and accountability.
Education has been an important part of my growth. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice from Roger Williams University and later completed a Master’s in Criminal Justice at Boston University. I also pursued leadership development, graduating from Leadership Rhode Island, completing executive training at the Harvard Kennedy School, and becoming a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Each experience strengthened my commitment to thoughtful and ethical leadership.
Along the way, I have been honored with commendations for assisting FBI narcotics operations and helping apprehend individuals involved in violent crimes. Those recognitions are meaningful, but what matters most to me is the trust of the community. I have always believed the badge represents responsibility — responsibility to protect life, to act with integrity, and to treat every person with dignity. In nearly three decades of service, I have only fired my weapon twice. Being an officer is not about violence — it is about saving lives.
Today, I stand proud as the first Latino police chief in Providence’s history. That title is not just about me. It represents every immigrant child who has ever felt different, struggled to belong, or wondered if they had a place here.
When the weight of the job feels heavy, I think back to that thirteen-year-old boy stepping off a plane, unsure of what lay ahead. I think about the small apartment on Elma Street, about my father’s words, about my mother’s strength. Providence is no longer just the city that welcomed my family — it is the city I have dedicated my life to protecting.
My story is one of opportunity and service. And it continues every day I put on the uniform.
The best thing that I did, my most proudest moment, is when a group of us founded the Coalition of Hispanic Organizations (Coalición) because that was the agency that gave respect to the community. That was the agency that put the name Hispanic high in the eyes of elected officials a policy makers.
You see, when you think about who are and what is a "Hispanic," you think about it only as a word, or maybe you think of a particular neighborhood. You’re not thinking about the people who may not live in that particular neighborhood, those who have established themselves outside of the south side of Providence. But, I tell you, those who do live [in that neighborhood] are people who have worked hard to be there: they run their house, they live there. The early years [the 1970s] were a period where the majority — mainly those who are not Hispanic — thought that these [Hispanics] were only people who were into drugs, and this and that. In reality the majority of the people there were very decent people... they lived very well and worked hard. So part of what I and a group of community activists did was to remind others that not everybody who lived in the South Providence neighborhood was poor or needy. Then and today, there are many professionals living in South Providence, and they are proud to live there.
