Eileen Cajuso and David Jaramillo spoke on May 7 during the 45th Annual Miami-Dade Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Ceremony at Tropical Park, honoring their loved ones who died in the line of duty. The event brought together about 2,000 people, including many uniformed officers, to pay tribute to the 171 Miami-Dade County law enforcement officials who have lost their lives while serving.
The ceremony holds significance for families and colleagues of fallen officers as it recognizes both recent and past sacrifices. Relatives were escorted to seats at the front of the gathering, where they joined others remembering those whose names are etched into a granite memorial commemorating every officer killed since 1895.
Eileen Cajuso reflected on her late husband, Sgt. David A. Cajuso of the Miami Beach Police Department, who died after a patrol motorcycle crash. She described how she once attended these ceremonies with her children while her husband worked at them: “Back then, I stood here as his wife, watching him, and admiring him in his uniform. Today, I stand here as his widow, honoring him.” She continued: “Let me put it this way, I once stood on the edge of someone else’s loss, looking in, and now I’m on the inside living it.”
David Jaramillo spoke about losing his son Deputy Devin M. Jaramillo—who followed him into law enforcement—after he was fatally shot by a suspect he was trying to subdue. He recounted years spent attending similar tributes for other fallen colleagues: “I first stepped on these grounds back in the early ’90s…but today … it’s come full circle for me.”
Aventura Police Department Chief Michael Bentolila opened the ceremony by saying: “No matter how many years pass, their sacrifice will never fade,” adding that time only strengthens their legacy.
The annual memorial serves not only as a moment of remembrance but also underscores ongoing support among law enforcement families and communities.
