CMPD Officer Recounts His Journey To Becoming A US Citizen

CHARLOTTE, NC — A CMPD officer seeking a better life traveled nearly 5000 miles to pursue his dreams in the United States.

Officer Yencey Contreras left his home in Honduras at the age of 17. He was the oldest of seven kids surrounded by poverty and crime.

Contreras risked his life to travel to the US with only $50 in his pocket. He says he was robbed, starved, and beaten along his journey.

When he arrived, Contreras was sent to a juvenile detention center. He was eventually rescued by a family who would visit him at the center.

Contreras is now a 30-year-old father, and has been serving with CMPD since 2014.