Beloved Church Caretaker, 73, Dies After Being Mistaken for Drunk Driver — Family Wins $2.5 Million Settlement

A 73-year-old church caretaker who spent two decades serving his community died after being detained by police on suspicion of drunk driving, despite having no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system. Now, his family is set to receive a $2.5 million settlement over his death.

Juan Restrepo, a longtime employee at Christ Church in Summit, New Jersey, died on June 15, 2020, after an encounter with Newark police officers that began with a report of a potentially intoxicated driver.

Restrepo had been found sitting in the front seat of a rental car with a damaged hood and deployed airbags. Officers Lorenzo Orsi and Lucfred Petion approached him at approximately 9:30 a.m. and took him into custody on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

He was transported to a New Jersey Transit facility at Newark Penn Station, where officers attempted to administer a breathalyzer test. However, they were unable to obtain a reading.

According to the family’s civil lawsuit, what followed was a deeply distressing sequence of events in which Restrepo appeared to be in increasing physical distress while officers struggled to move him.

Body-camera footage described in media reports showed the elderly man crying out in pain and being carried by his arms and legs because he was unable to walk.

He was subsequently being moved toward a police vehicle when he collapsed. Footage reportedly captured officers making comments about his inability to stand, with one telling him to stop playing around.

Emergency medical assistance was eventually provided, and Restrepo was taken to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead at 1:17 p.m.

The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General later confirmed that an autopsy found the cause of death to be atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Crucially, toxicology testing found no alcohol or illegal drugs in his body.

His death left his wife, Rocio Restrepo, and their family devastated.

Restrepo had been a sexton — a caretaker responsible for the upkeep of church buildings and grounds — at Christ Church for approximately 20 years. Members of the congregation remembered him as a much-loved figure who had devoted years of service to the community.

His family subsequently filed a civil lawsuit alleging that the officers and authorities involved had failed to respond appropriately as his medical condition deteriorated. Their attorneys argued that the warning signs should have prompted urgent medical attention.

The legal dispute has now resulted in a combined $2.5 million settlement.

Under the agreement, the City of Newark will pay $1.75 million, while New Jersey Transit will contribute another $750,000. Newark’s municipal council formally authorized its portion of the settlement on October 7, 2026.

The settlement resolves the family’s civil litigation against the city and transit agency. It does not, by itself, constitute an admission of wrongdoing by either party.

There was also a separate criminal investigation into Restrepo’s death. In September 2022, a state grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against the officers involved.

The Attorney General’s Office said investigators had reviewed witness interviews, video footage and the medical examiner’s findings before presenting the case to the grand jury.

The outcome of that investigation did not prevent the family from pursuing a civil claim over the circumstances surrounding his death.

For those who knew Restrepo, the $2.5 million agreement cannot replace the man they lost. After years of quietly caring for a church and the people around it, his final hours became the subject of a long legal battle that has now ended in a multimillion-dollar settlement.

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