Mia Carrero urged her father to call out Oct. 12 and spend the night with his family. He told her he could not. He was running low on sick time.
Soon after arriving for his shift, Police Officer Richard Carrero Mendez, 50, was fatally shot inside a parking garage at Philadelphia International Airport
“Never in a million years would I have thought that would be the last time I ever saw my daddy,” Carrero, 19, told mourners Tuesday before the start of Mendez’s funeral Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. “That night was the worst night of my life.”
“I remember seeing my daddy’s cold dead body lying there, when less than two hours ago he was kissing me and my mommy goodnight,” she added.
Streets were closed around the cathedral Tuesday morning, as law enforcement – from the PPD, New Jersey, Delaware, New York and elsewhere – gathered in Sister Cities Park, near Local Circle, to watch the service on a jumbotron.
“Mia, your dad is going to be with you forever,” Interim Police Commissioner John M. Stanford Jr. said during a eulogy. “He will be watching over you every step of the way. Continue to be the daughter that he was extremely proud of, and that he loved so much.”
Mendez and Officer Raul Ortiz, 60, approached a group of men who were attempting to break into vehicles at around 11 p.m. Oct. 12 inside the Terminal D garage, according to authorities. Police believe one of the men fired at the two officers from behind, striking Mendez four times.
Ortiz was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his arm and released less than two days later. He was among those in attendance at Mendez’s funeral.
Prosecutors have charged three men from Camden County – Hendrick Peña-Fernandez, Alexander Batista-Polanco and Yobranny Martinez-Fernandez – with murder, attempted murder and a host of other offenses. They are being held without bail.
A fourth man allegedly associated with the suspects, 18-year-old Jesus Herman Madera Duran, was killed in the shooting. Investigators have said evidence indicates that neither officer fired their weapon.
Mendez, who joined the PPD 23 years ago, was posthumously promoted to sergeant, and Mayor Jim Kenney ordered Philadelphia flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days, from the date of his death.
Mia Carrero said her father was born in Puerto Rico, and Mendez’s father retired as a sergeant following a career in the New York Police Department.
Mendez met his future wife, Alex Carrero, while the two were in high school, Mia added. Alex was two years younger and not permitted to date until graduation. Mendez patiently waited for his opportunity.
“Anyone who knew my dad could tell you how much he loved her,” Mia said. “And anyone who had the pleasure of seeing their love would be jealous of the relationship they had.”
Stanford said that Mendez would pick up his sister following an overnight shift at the airport and visit their mother, Maria, who has been in a rehabilitation center recovering from multiple medical procedures.
Two days after Mendez’s death, a package arrived. He had overheard his sister speaking to a nurse about items their mother needed and placed the order without telling anyone, Stanford recounted.
Mendez always prioritized education, and Mia is on track to graduate from Temple University in May, at a younger age than most college students.
A degree was initially out of reach for her dad, Mia said, but he went back to school and earned a bachelor’s in 2016 and a master’s the next year – both in business administration. He was planning to retire and become a teacher.
“My daddy was our family’s backbone. In high pressure situations, my mother and I can be a mess, but he was the one that always stayed calm,” Mia said. “His favorite phrase was always, ‘We got this.’”
