Memory of dispatcher honored with ride to SPI

As Rio Grande Valley motorcyclists honored the memory of Ernesto De La Fuente with a moment of silence Saturday, a Harley-Davidson idled in the background.

De La Fuente, 26, died in August. Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said investigators suspect he was killed by a drunken driver as he rode his motorcycle to his job as a dispatcher with the Cameron County Sheriff's department.

On Saturday, the biking enthusiast was remembered with a motorcycle ride from the sheriff's office to South Padre Island.

De La Fuente, who was training to become a sheriff's deputy, was remembered by Lucio, his former boss, as industrious, respectful and kind. As a dispatcher, De La Fuente took emergency calls and ensured that law enforcement or medical professionals responded.

"The dispatchers are the eyes, ears, and heart of law enforcement," Lucio said. "They instruct people on how to do CPR, they keep them calm, and they get them the help they need."

Victor Tamayo, a Sheriff's deputy bailiff who rode motorcycles on Thursdays and Sundays with De La Fuente, gave an emotional speech to those gathered.

"He always treated me like everyone else we rode with, even though I was twice his age," Tamayo said. "This is a tragedy."

Cameron County Commissioner John Wood also addressed the riders as they set off for South Padre Island.

"Being a biker comes from the heart," Wood said. "Keep Ernie's memory alive as you ride. Keep him on your left shoulder. Let him ride with you."