Previously Held Specialties CMR-Community Relations Unit
Service Years
1982 - 2006
Official Badges
Police Awards and Commendations
Federal Awards
Not Specified
Departmental Awards
Not Specified
Other Languages
Not Specified
Prior Military Service
Not Specified
Last Photo
Personal Details
Year of Birth 1958
This Military Service Page was created/owned by
S/PO Rick A Welch (RECON) )
to remember
GUERRA-PAYAN, CYNTHIA, S/LO.
If you knew or served with this Officer and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Date of Passing
Oct 29, 2006
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
By ROBIN HINCH / The Orange County Register
It began as a dream of a ride.
A stunning, sunny Southern California fall day, Cynthia Guerra-Payan astride the used Suzuki 800 motorcycle she had wanted for so long, with her Saddleback Valley College police colleagues as her riding companions.
The only woman on the 14-officer Saddleback police force, Cynthia Guerra-Payan was a popular figure on campus.
FAMILY HANDOUT
Cynthia Yvonne Guerra-Payan
Born: Aug. 11, 1958, Santa Ana
Died: Oct. 29, 2006, Lake Elsinore
Survivors: Daughter, Bernadette Payan; son, Nicholas Payan; parents, Robert Guerra, Bernadine Perez; sisters, Catherine Scott, Carolyn Diaz.
Visitation and vigil: 7:30 p.m. today, St. Joseph Church, Santa Ana.
Services: 9 a.m. Saturday, at the church. Arrangements by Brown Colonial Mortuary, Santa Ana.
Starting from Cook's Corner at 9 a.m. Oct. 29, they took a leisurely route to Lake Elsinore, then, at Cynthia's insistence because she wanted to attend an evening fundraiser, they took a shortcut home on the steep, curving Ortega Highway, where the golden day turned to disaster.
Cynthia, a novice rider, lost control of her bike and plunged over a 100-foot cliff to her death. She was 48.
If there's any comfort to be found here, say her many friends, it's in knowing that this eager, compassionate woman died doing something she loved.
She'd wanted a motorcycle for some time, but her mother begged her not to buy one. And, in fact, Cynthia didn't exactly buy this one. It was given to her six months ago in payment of a loan a friend couldn't repay in cash.
A divorcee with two children, ages 18 and 13, Cynthia was a Santa Ana native. She graduated from Mater Dei High School, earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Cal State Fullerton, worked as an Orange County Sheriff's deputy, then in 1982, became a sworn officer with the Saddleback Valley College police force.
While working for Saddleback, she earned a law degree at Western State University of Law in Fullerton. She took the bar exam once and failed, to her great disappointment. Cynthia didn't take failure well. But she had plans to take the exam again.
Cynthia was constantly on the go. She did volunteer work on behalf of Latino political candidates, for Bowers Museum, the League of United Latin American Citizens. And she was vice president of the Latino Peace Officers Association.
People were constantly telling her to slow down, but she wouldn't hear of it. It was almost as if she knew life was short, and she had to cram in as much as she could. No wonder she often responded, "Tired but happy" when asked how she was.
She budgeted her money down to the nickel and could bargain nearly anyone down in price. But budgeting her time was quite another matter and being two hours late was par for the course.
The only woman on the 14-officer Saddleback police force, Cynthia was a popular figure on campus.
She combined her trademark tenacity with friendliness to diffuse many difficult situations.
"She pulled my bacon out of the fire a few times," said Harry Farmer, chief of the campus police.
When her colleagues invited her on the motorcycle ride, Cynthia was happy to be included, although just the week before, she'd told a friend she was going to sell the bike.
The other officers did their best to protect her on the ride, putting experienced riders in front of and behind her and pacing their speed.
No one can figure out how or why she lost control.
Contact the writer: Interviewed for this story: Sister, Cathy Scott; friends, Armida Cabral, Eva Curiel; boyfriend, Frank Felix; Pam Coe, Mater Dei High School director of media relations; Jennie McCue, Saddleback College director of public information and marketing. 714-796-6082 or rhinch@ocregister.com
I'm Senior Officer Ricky Welch. I had the pleasure working with Cynthia, and that day the pleasure of eating brunch with Cynthia and some other Police Officers the morning of her death. In fact maybe 3 hours before she was killed on that winding mountain road on Saddleback Mountain.
Cynthia was one of my training officers when I started at the Saddle Back College P.D. in August 1991. The Training consisted of learning the campus for former Police Officers like myself. I found her to be Witty, and very outgoing. She asked me more questions than I asked her that first day of training. I laugh when I think about it. She knew I owned a Security Guard company on the side, and She asked me "How many Latino Security Officers work for you"? At the time I had 1, and she was happy to hear that. She would ask me over the 15 years of me knowing her that question many times. I always looked forward to seeing Cynthia.
That morning at breakfast she was full of smiles, so talkative, and she greeted me, " Rickeeeee", "Glad to see you here", I'm going to sit by you". I felt honored she'd want to sit next to me.. She set to my left, and she asked me how i'd been, She wanted to know what I was going to have to eat, and made a few jokes about the present circumstances of the Department. She told me she was also supposed to be at the Getty Museum this morning in LA, but chose to be with her Police friends. I took her feelings as she had wanted to get as much into a day as she could, but it was impossible. She just wouldn't believe it would take 2 days for her to do everything she wanted to do in 1 day. Amazing person.
Our purpose for that gathering was just Cops hanging out with Cops. I was the only one there not on my Motorcycle that day. This was also my first and last meeting with the group.
I got up that morning to go, and I had a flat tire on my motorcycle. It was to late to repair, so I jumped in my POV, and headed to the restaurant to meet with fellow Officers, Deputy Chief James Pyle, Officers Cloyce Kelly, and about 4 others..
Cynthia told me she was riding for the first time, and also shared with me, she needed to get back to Orange County and wanted to go the quickest way back to be with her children after this event. She wanted a good safe route. I new she had little experience on that new motorcycle she was riding that day. I suggested that I could follow her back on the 55 FWY as an escort. She said, "You'd do that for me"? I said, of course, how would that be such a big deal I told her. The majority of the Cops there wanted to help her out, so I just threw my offer out there, and as it ended up, she decided to just ride along side the guys she had come up there with. Till then, we had tons of laughs, and it was a very good visit with Cynthia. I spent my entire breakfast speaking to her. I will not forget it.
Sitting there while eating, I remember thinking how much of a busy body she was. I kind of laughed to myself because it amused me how she was Into so much of what life had to offer, and she was very dedicated to her family, community, and she loved her job. More than others for sure. Cynthia was loyal to her job, and as it worked she received loyalty from the job. So many friends loved her from the Saddleback College..
Soon the brunch was over, and everyone except me decided to go down south on the I 15 FWY and turn on the 76 and head West with Cynthia riding in between them. That was agreed to be the safest route back, though longer. I decided to be content with the thoughts of the meeting resonating in my mind as I traveled back down the 55FWy and home.
All of the Bikers heading back with Cynthia were experienced riders, I watched as they doted on her, and made sure her helmet was on tight, and all was good for take off. Sometime after their departure, they stopped somewhere else, and because of the crunch for time, they decided to take a different route back. The ride is beautiful there, and worth it to ride over the mountain and down the other side slowly. But only the experienced bike riders dare. The decision to take this route changed the entire life of everyone Cynthia was connected to in life. Cynthia turned a curve on a downhill slope, and disappeared not only from vision, but from life itself. I'm sure the first thoughts in her mind as she was falling, were of her children, and friends, and if she'd ever see them again. Her fellow Officers found her, they tried to help her hold on to life, but she slipped away, and one of life's biggest representatives passed on and went to be with the Lord.
In the end we think of how strong Cynthia was, but the frailty of this body we live in is weaker than our own will. Rest in Peace Cynthia.
If anyone would like to ask me anything regarding Cynthia, please email me. No problem. rickw.gladiator@gmail.com
Other Comments:
Cynthia Yvonne Guerra-Payan Born: Aug. 11, 1958, Santa Ana Died: Oct. 29, 2006, Lake Elsinore Survivors: Daughter, Bernadette Payan; son, Nicholas Payan; parents, Robert Guerra, Bernadine Perez; sisters, Catherine Scott, Carolyn Diaz. Visitation and vigil: 7:30 p.m. today, St. Joseph Church, Santa Ana. Services: 9 a.m. Saturday, at the church. Arrangements by Brown Colonial Mortuary, Santa Ana.
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