# Church handyman’s family to receive $2.5m after fatal mistaken arrest

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/much-loved-church-handyman-73-died-in-agony-after-being-mistakenly-arrested-for-drunk-driving-as-his-family-receive-2-5million/
- Published: 2026-10-30T04:59:11+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T05:12:34+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16251123/Much-loved-church-handyman-73-died-agony-mistakenly-arrested-drunk-driving-family-receive-2-5million.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Juan Restrepo died after being arrested during a medical emergency.
- Newark and New Jersey Transit agreed to pay his family $2.5 million.
- Body-camera footage documented his distress before he died.

## Summary

Juan Restrepo, a 73-year-old church handyman, died after Newark police arrested him in June 2020, mistaking a medical emergency for intoxication. His family will receive $2.5 million in settlements from Newark and New Jersey Transit; the case raises questions about how officers responded to his visible distress.

Restrepo was found in a damaged rental car after police received a report of an intoxicated driver. Police took him to Newark Penn Station, where officers could not obtain a breathalyser reading; he was in severe pain, unable to walk, and later collapsed while handcuffed. He died at hospital less than four hours after his arrest from cardiovascular disease. Restrepo’s family sued after viewing body-camera footage; he had served as sexton at Christ Church in Summit for 20 years.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.