‘My soul is broken,’ says wife of man fatally shot by ICE in Biddeford

The wife of Johan Sebastian Durán Guerrero spoke publicly for the first time today, Wednesday, July 16.

Durán Guerrero was fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the corner of Pool and Hill streets in Biddeford Monday morning.

Durán Guerrero, 26, is from Columbia, was authorized to work in the United States and had been issued a Social Security number. According to federal lawmakers, Durán Guerrero was not the intended target of the arrest warrant.

Martha Karolina Rojas Alvarez, Durán Guerrero’s wife, was joined by her sister-in-law, Daniela Durán Guerrero at a press conference Thursday afternoon at The Lincoln Hotel in Biddeford arranged by law firm Bernstein and Shur. Rojas Alvarez spoke in Spanish, and her speech was translated to English by Keyko Torres.  

Rojas Alvarez described her husband as a responsible, hard-working man who was devoted to his family. She said he liked to keep busy and his joy was contagious.

“From the moment we met, we never separated again. We were always one,” she said.

She said her husband made her feel like a queen.

“I never wanted for anything; he gave me more than I ever dreamed of. I will never have the words to express what a marvelous, loving man God gave me,” said Rojas Alvarez.

Durán Guerrero loved being a father, said Rojas Alvarez, and took their three-year-old daughter to the park every afternoon. She said he wanted to always be present for their daughter. He enjoyed how happy it made her when he bought her new clothes or toys, and would always give in when she told him she wanted chicken nuggets and French fries.

“That Monday afternoon was supposed to be her day with Papá. But he never came home.  And now my daughter asks for Papá, and I don't have the strength to tell her that Papá isn't coming, that she can't hug him anymore or tell him, ‘Papi, I love you,” said Rojas Alvarez.

She said she wishes she could run into his arms, and that he will always be the love of her life.

“My soul is broken. He was everything to me; he never let me worry about anything,” she said.

Saco Bay News Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.