Sgt Brandon Mendoza
My son, Sgt Brandon Mendoza, was killed on May 12, 2014 in a violent head on collision. He was killed by a 3 times the legal limit drunk and high on meth ILLEGAL CRIMINAL! He had driven 35 MILES the wrong way on 4 different freeways before slamming head on into my son's car. My son had just finished his shift and was heading home after working to keep Mesa citizens safe and his community crime free when his life was taken so tragically.
Brandon had many dreams of what he wanted to continue achieving in his life and had just completed the renovation of the Guerrero Park area in Mesa. He changed the neighborhood forever with his relentless drive to make it a safe place for the families and especially the children of the area. He worked with the City of Mesa Building Code Division to have landlords bring their rental properties up to code to provide a safe living environment for renters. He made friends with everyone he met. the community knew they could trust him and he was there for them.
Brandon worked with the Grant Woods Boys and Girls Club to have a neighborhood Thanksgiving Dinner each year for the residents he worked with on a daily basis. Chris Quasula, the Branch Executive at this Boys and Girls Club has renamed it the Mendoza Thanksgiving Dinner in Brandon's honor. This years dinner will be held November 16, 2017. You can contact me via email if you would like to donate. Donating to this worthy organization will help keep Brandon's name alive within the community he worked so hard to improve. Excess funds will be used to help defray costs at this Boys and Girls Branch as many families cannot afford the monthly expense of having their children attend. Chris makes sure ALL children have a safe environment to be in after school and keep them off the streets.
On November 18, 2017 the Mesa PD coordinated to have the Community Sweep Clean Up of the area. A yearly event Brandon started for the neighborhood. We all help with this neighborhood event as it gives them all the feeling of pride and encourages them to keep the area neat and crime free. It was a huge success!
The Mesa Arts Academy was near and dear to Brandon. I donated playground equipment replacement parts to keep it safe for the children. This is a school in the Guerrero Park area that Brandon would go to and inspire the children to have a goal in their lives. Many of the children stated after Brandon's death, that he inspired them to become police officers. Nothing speaks about the influence of a person as statements like this from children in the community.
If you would like to donate any sporting goods, please contact me via email. This is something that was very important to Brandon.
We currently working on planning the 2018 Sgt Brandon Mendoza Softball Tournament and will put the dates out in the future. The proceeds help fund these worthy causes Brandon was so passionate about. Our first Softball Tournament was held November 7, 2015 at Skyline High School in Mesa. Thank you to everyone who participated!!! We had an initial Golf Tournament on April 23, 2016 and will be deciding soon if we are going to have another one in 2018. We are having our first Sgt Brandon Mendoza Memorial Foundation Charity Motorcycle Ride on Saturday April 21, 2018. Please see our page on the website for more information.
I will be adding donation links and keeping you informed of any and all upcoming events.
Thank you for taking the time to read about Brandon. If I don't keep his dreams and hopes alive, then I would be disrespecting his hard work and determination. Please visit this site often and become a community advocate and help keep Brandon's dreams alive
Respectfully,
Mary Ann
Brandon Mendoza