Fallen Georgia State Trooper receives posthumous college diploma
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Georgia State Trooper has received a posthumous degree after he was killed in a crash on duty months before graduation.
State Trooper Jimmy Cenescar was planning to complete his bachelor's degree at Georgia Gwinnett College in May.
Cenescar died after a crash on Sunday, Jan. 28, while attempting to stop a motorcycle for a traffic violation on I-85. Cenescar's vehicle left the road and struck an embankment, trees, and a retaining wall. Emergency personnel responded and attempted life-saving measures before he was rushed to Northside Gwinnett Hospital where he passed away. He was 28 years old.
Four days later, the GSP announced the arrest of Gerson Ayala-Rodriguez in connection to Cenescar's death. He was arrested in Norcross and taken into custody by the GSP and Gwinnett County police.
In April, a Gwinnett County grand jury indicted Ayala-Rodriguez on charges of felony murder, first-degree homicide, felony fleeing, tampering with evidence, three counts of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and multiple traffic-related misdemeanors. He remains in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond.
On Thursday, Cenescar's family accepted his diploma on his behalf during the college's graduation ceremony.
According to his obituary, Cenescar was studying criminal justice with a minor in political science with "dreams of combining his knowledge with his natural leadership skills to effect change within the criminal justice system."
Jimmy Cenescar
Who was Georgia State Trooper Jimmy Cenescar?
Born in Haiti, Cenescar was inspired by his aunt to pursue a career in law enforcement.
In 2021, he was credited with risking his own safety to save a man's life who had driven a car off a cliff in northwest Atlanta.
"I knew I had to take action quickly to get that driver out of the vehicle because I knew there were train tracks," said Cenescar, who worked with the Atlanta Police Department at the time.
At his funeral, Cenescar's brother said that as a kid, he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up, but policing became his life's passion.
"Jimmy passed doing what he loved," his brother said. "That’s something that you guys need to understand, that’s something he loved."
Following his death, politicians across the state reacted to his family's loss and paid tribute to the law enforcement officer's service.
"I would urge all Georgians to keep this family and his fiancee in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to deal with this horrific loss on behalf of our state," Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.
He was buried at Mount Harmony Memorial Gardens in Mableton on Feb. 9.