Family and friends gather to honor fallen DPS Trooper Sanchez

WESLACO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Family and friends gathered in Weslaco to honor the life and legacy of Texas DPS Trooper Moises Sanchez.

It was an emotional Thursday morning for the family and friends of Trooper Moises Sanchez. They watched a monument of the trooper unveiled for the first time — one that will serve as a memorial for years to come.

Sanchez died in the line of duty in August 2019 after he was shot while responding to a call.

Despite the pain of their loss, family members said they are grateful that the community continues to remember him.

_{Texas State Trooper Moises Sanchez has passed away, according to DPS. (Photo Source: TX DPS)}

"It's mixed emotions as usual with things like this. You are reminded of the loss and everything but at the same time you feel honored and have a sense of pride that our father has a dedication like this," said Zachary Sanchez, son of Moises Sanchez.

Soon after his father's passing, Zachary finished school and applied to become a state trooper, just like his father. For the last few years, he has been protecting the roadways in Midland, Texas.

His brother, Zebastian, also wants to follow in his father's footsteps, mainly because his dad loved being a trooper.

"Just seeing him super happy when he graduated from the DPS training academy. As a family, we were super proud of him when he would come down for the weekends and sometimes we would meet him in Austin as he was there for the academy. He was super tired, obviously, but it was all worth it in the end as he was proud and us as a family," Zebastian said.

Not only was Moises Sanchez committed to protecting and serving, but he was also giving of his time.

"He would volunteer and he would be a coach in uniform and that's just another example of being involved in the community," said Guadalupe Casarez, Texas DPS PIO and Safety Education Sergeant. "It's not just the arresting people, giving out tickets, giving out warnings, but the community aspect and I think that's where sometimes law enforcement falls short."

Of all the fond memories family members say they have of Moises Sanchez, it is the little things they say they miss the most.

"Just the simple cookouts. He would do the eating and laughing around the table till we cry are probably the things that I miss the most out of everything," said Zachary Sanchez.