The memorials would recognize Kendall County Community Supervision Officer Russell Dean “Rusty” Salazar and Kendall County Deputy Carlos “Smiley” Ramirez.
KENDALL COUNTY, Texas — Kendall County leaders are moving forward with plans to install permanent highway memorial markers to honor two officers killed. They say the markers would serve as a lasting reminder of their sacrifice.
County commissioners recently passed a resolution supporting the idea, which would recognize Kendall County Community Supervision Officer Russell Dean “Rusty” Salazar and Kendall County Deputy Carlos “Smiley” Ramirez. Both men were killed in separate incidents in 2019.
Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said the proposal immediately stood out to him.
“I thought it was a great idea. I have seen markers along highways before,” Stolarczyk said.
Salazar was killed in a crash in January 2019 while returning from a field visit. He worked for 11 years with the Kendall County Community Supervision and Corrections Department. According to the 100 Club of Kendall County, Salazar had a wife and five children.
Six months later, in July 2019, Ramirez was struck and killed by a vehicle while conducting a traffic stop off I-10 near Boerne. Ramirez also left behind a wife and kids.
Stolarczyk said the purpose of the memorials goes beyond honoring the officers today.
“I wanted to make sure that these officers who put their lives on the line protecting our citizens are remembered. Not just today, but tomorrow and the next day,” he said.
He added that the markers would be placed along area highways and would likely include the officers’ names and identify the location as a memorial.
“It would be like a 4×10 sign along the highway somewhere that has the officers’ names and then something about it being a memorial for their life,” Stolarczyk said.
Stolarczyk, a military veteran, didn’t know these men personally but said it is important to honor them.
“I served in the military for ten years,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you served with them, you want to take care of someone else who serves their community.”
The county’s next step is to begin discussions with the Texas Department of Transportation to determine placement and approval for the markers. Stolarczyk said that process is expected to be a focus this spring, though there is no timeline for when the memorials would be installed.