Arkansas State Police Trooper Ernesto Echevarria is a long way from where he started in life-literally and figuratively.
"I never thought law enforcement would be my choice of career. I grew up in an area of L.A. that was very anti-police. I'm just going to be honest: I didn't like cops," he said.
Ernesto is assigned to Highway Patrol Troop G and patrols Sevier, Little River and Howard counties in Southwest Arkansas.
"It wasn't my goal to be a cop, but here I am. And it's where I want to be," he said.
His parents immigrated to Los Angeles from Michoacan, Mexico, before Ernesto was born. His dad was a cook, and both parents worked factory jobs. None of his family members were police officers.
He spent his first 12 years in Los Angeles, and the other children in the neighborhood were wary of the officers who were always asking questions.
"They would stop the kids walking in the neighborhood and would ask them about where they were going and what they were up to," Ernesto said.
Then, shortly before his family moved to Arkansas, Ernesto was stopped by two police officers who acted differently.
"They were friendlier and just wanted to talk, and they gave me some Dodgers cards. It kind of opened my mind a little (about police officers). I knew I couldn't judge people based on other people's experiences or stories," Ernesto said.
His family moved to De Queen in 1997.
"My parents were tired of the crime and the high rent in L.A.," he said. "I had an uncle who had moved (to De Queen) and said it was a low-crime area. My dad visited for a week, then called my mom and told her to pack our stuff because we were moving."
Ernesto and his two brothers and two sisters experienced a huge culture shock going from Los Angeles to tiny De Queen. The school and classes were much smaller than they were used to, the school had no fence around it, and it was much quieter.
After graduating De Queen High School in 2001, Ernesto started working at Pilgrims Pride, the local poultry plant.
Some of his co-workers pushed him to do more.
"They said 'You know English, you can do more than this,'" he said. "One of the careers we constantly went back to in our conversations was law enforcement."
In 2004, he decided to follow his coworkers' advice and found work as a jailer with Sevier County Sheriff's Office. But he still wasn't convinced he was meant for a career in law enforcement.
Then one day during a family visitation, he escorted an inmate to the visitation area. The inmate's son was showed into the lobby, and instead of running toward his father, the child ran towards Ernesto.
"He came up to me and said, 'My daddy's in jail, my daddy's in jail, but when I grow up I want to be a cop,'" the trooper said.
"That did make an impression on me. I kept thinking about it, and the guys I worked with were pushing me toward law enforcement."
In 2006, he joined De Queen Police Department and worked there almost six years.
"During that time, I learned what being a police officer really meant, and I promised myself that I would continue to try to better myself and my community," he said.
Ernesto was hired by Arkansas State Police in 2012 and assigned to Sevier County.
In 2015, he became a member of ASP's statewide Crisis Negotiation Team-a team of troopers trained to effectively communicate with people who are in a crisis situation.
He also receives calls from officers across the state, asking him to help overcome language barriers by phone.
Ernesto acts as a liaison between law enforcement and the Hispanic community in Southwest Arkansas: "I get a lot of calls from people who mainly speak Spanish.
They have questions about something. I want to put myself out there and earn their trust."
He enjoys visiting with the children in the area at community events and hopes some of them are inspired to go into law enforcement one day, like he was inspired by the Los Angeles officers with the Dodgers cards.
The trooper volunteers at Shop with a Cop events at Christmas in De Queen and Ashdown along with the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics and the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics.
Troop G Capt. Brady Gore recently nominated Ernesto as the unit's Trooper of the Year. He will be honored at several events and said he was surprised to learn the news.
Gore said Ernesto is an excellent trooper.
"He is an asset to the Arkansas State Police and Troop G, and we are glad to have him," Gore said.