This is an I-Heart podcast.

Guaranteed Human.

And we continue with our American stories.

Up next, we have a moving eulogy from Mia Mendez as she memorialized

the life of her father, Sergeant Richard Mendez, who was shot four times and killed while trying

to stop a car break in in Philadelphia in 2023. He was on the force there for nearly two decades. At his funeral, there were a number of speakers. None were more moving than his daughter Mia. Let's take a listen.

I'm the daughter of Richard Carrara Mendez. He was born in Maeguess, Puerto Rico, on June 22nd,

1973, or according to my oeula, the 21st of June.

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,

the one that told us everything is going to be okay.

His favorite phase was always, we got this.

No matter how tough a situation could be, he was always supporting the people in his life,

and would always be his shoulder to cry on.

He was a wrestler in high school, and when I was a kid, he would always tell me about his wrestling days,

and would try and teach me his moves.

We'd be in the supermarket, and I'd be jumping all over him trying to show off the moves he taught me.

He met my mother in high school.

He was 16 and she was 14.

My daddy used to say it was love at first sight.

He'd never stop asking her out and my mom would always say,

...