ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The 18-year-old migrant worker accused of contributing to the death of St. Johns County Sgt. Michael Kunovich is not fit to stand trial, a judge ruled Friday.
In May 2023, Vergilio Aguilar-Mendez was involved in a struggle with Kunovich shortly before the officer died. A medical examiner's report said Kunovich died of an irregular heartbeat, but the struggle and possible emotional stress contributed to his death.
According to the incident report, Mendez is a migrant worker from Guatemala and told police he was previously in immigration custody for six months.
Mendez was originally charged with resisting with violence and felony murder. The murder charge was later downgraded to aggravated manslaughter of an officer.
Documents specifying why Mendez was ruled incompetent are not yet available. However, his attorney had previously asked for his mental health to be evaluated, as well as established that he does not understand English. (During the confrontation with Kunovich, caught on video, Mendez said he didn't speak English at least twice.)
In a previous filing, Mendez's lawyer said he could not aid in the defense's preparation, could not appreciate the nature of the charges and could not understand the legal process.
READ MORE: Medical examiner's report, what happened
He was ordered to "jail based competency treatment," which is typically rehabilitation or mental health treatment in jail.
First Coast News has requested the documents explaining the judge's order.