Georgia state trooper Jimmy Cenescar was killed in January 2024 when he crashed during a pursuit. Barely three weeks later, the trooper that investigated that crash, Trooper First Class Chase Redner, was also killed in the line of duty when he was struck by a vehicle while investigating a different crash.
It has been nearly 47 years since the Georgia State Patrol lost two troopers within the same year.
Now, Cenescar’s high school is honoring his legacy by displaying his uniform.
Cenescar, a 2015 graduate of Paulding County High School, was also a former Atlanta police officer and was completing his college degree at the time of his death.
“At just 28 years old, Jimmy made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and we are committed to ensuring his memory lives on within our school and community,” Principal Andy Dorsey said in a letter to parents.
A native of Haiti, Cenescar moved with his family to the U.S. as a 4-year-old and was raised in Orlando, Florida, before they settled in Paulding. In May, Cenescar’s family was presented with his diploma during the Georgia Gwinnett College graduation ceremony. He was studying criminal justice and planned to pursue leadership roles, according to his obituary.
The person who led the investigation into the crash that killed Cenescar was Redner. Less than three weeks later, Redner was also killed when he was hit by a vehicle as he investigated a deadly crash. He was 31.
In August, Gerson Danilo Ayala-Rodriguez, 21, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in the crash that killed Cenescar. In addition to the felony charge, Ayala-Rodriguez also was convicted on misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, speeding, two counts each of driving without a license, operating a vehicle without insurance and operating an unregistered vehicle.
Ayala-Rodriguez was then sentenced to 20 years, including 17 to serve in prison, the Gwinnett District Attorney’s Office said. He currently serving at Jenkins Correctional Facility in Millen, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Various law enforcement officers visited Paulding County High on Monday to see Cenescar’s uniform displayed.
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