From Southview to the LPD

Meet Naricisco Inchaurregui

Introduced and photographed by Valerie Gonzalez

photo by Valerie Gonzalez

Officer Naricisco Inchaurregui is newer to the LPD force than our previous highlights, having only two years under his police utility belt. But growing up in Lorain has given him an advantage that some of the other longer-standing officers on this force don't have.

As a child, he lived in South Lorain with his sister and four brothers, resulting in his familiarity with a fair amount of people, various neighborhoods, and the many cultures of our international city.

He attended Lowell Elementary School, where he started wrestling in second grade with the Southview Youth Wrestling Program, continuing into high school at Southview and then Lorain High. He gained a reputation for being an instigator during his many wrestling matches.

photo by Valerie Gonzalez

Inchaurregui sheepishly recalls that he got the two forearm tattoos that depict "Loved" and "Hated" in a fancy script in honor of his ornery "trash talking" days. He chuckled at the memory of how he would taunt the opposing team's audience, and then they would boo him.

Today, it's hard to envision Inchaurregui acting in a rowdy or brash way. The man I interviewed was exceedingly polite and gracious, a great conversationalist, open, and gentle-hearted, all the things that most people don't associate with police officers. But that's what makes this one exceptional.

Along with his line of work, Inchaurregui is also a devoted father and husband. One of his joys on his days off—along with MMA training, lifting weights, professional wrestling, and playing video games—is EATING! (He wrote that in all caps in one of our text messages.) He also likes watching Disney+ with his family and says he enjoys coming home late when everyone else is in bed to help with the laundry and cleaning the house. It's admirably obvious that family is a high priority for him.

photo by Valerie Gonzalez

Since family is such a pivotal part of Inchaurregui's life, it's a remarkable thing to discover that, though he frequently visited his father growing up, those visits took place at the local prison. Pointing out another tattoo on his arm of Simba, Disney's iconic lion cub, he says,

"My Simba tattoo is probably my favorite tattoo. My earliest memory of my father is when I would visit him in prison and every visit, we had a set schedule. We would eat popcorn and watch 'The Lion King.' My father would always call me Simba and tell me 'remember who you are.'"

The line is from the iconic scene where Simba has a vision of his deceased father Mufasa and chooses to head back to his hyena-ravaged homeland. The line aims to restore to Simba what he had lost: the strength to take his rightful place in the world with honor and dignity and to cast off shame and claim his birthright.

Influence from such an unlikely circumstance has had an amazing impact on Inchaurregui's personal life and his work life in uniform.

photo by Valerie Gonzalez

One of the more distinctive on-the-job-moments that has stuck with him was going to an accident where a young man was more concerned that he ruined his mom's car instead of his health. Inchaurregui encouraged him to get medical treatment and conveyed that a car is replaceable, but he, himself, was not, and his mom cared more about him than the car.

It is events like these that Inchaurregui would prefer the media to cover more. All the positive aspects of what police contribute to their cities, like patrolling the streets at 4 a.m. to ensure that the citizens can sleep safely—police officers are simply everyday people who have families who worry for them when they leave for work.

When asked if one positive experience stood out when interacting with the citizens of Lorain:

Inchaurregui is an exceptional officer. I know I already mentioned that, but I'll unabashedly say it again. He's young but not idealistic. He experiences a lot of negativity, but he's not jaded. He has a protective and steady temperament, his smile is quick and easy, and he laughs often. He's humble and has quite an amiable personality.

Inchaurregui knows his strength. He's a wrestler and trains in MMA. So if it's necessary to take someone to the ground, I'd rather it not be me. But the words "threatening" or "imposing" would not be the first words I'd use to describe him, and it's clear that he's confident enough in his abilities that he doesn't feel the need to be so. These are all the makings of a great police officer, and I am very pleased and grateful that of all the PDs in the US, he's here protecting us with the LPD.