Former accountant Catalina Fraide changes career after family tragedy

By Kaylee Arca

After facing emotional trauma when her step sister died by suicide, Catalina Fraide found a new purpose in life. The tragedy compelled her four years ago to join the Gilroy Police Department.

When Fraide, 33, discovered her beloved family member hanging in the bathroom, she saw that her father and stepmother stood frozen with “deer-in-the-headlights” expressions. Fraide, however, analyzed the situation and swiftly called 911. She then tried to resuscitate her step sister with CPR.

After that day, Fraide lost interest in her job as an accountant. She now wanted to help others like the first responders who helped her family in the hours following her stepsister’s death.

“I just realized there’s more to my life than sitting behind a desk crunching numbers,” she said. “The thing that piqued my interest was the reaction, or maybe the lack of reaction, from the fire personnel, police officers, detective, and the coroner’s office. Everybody was absolutely professional.”

She applied for the GPD, was hired, and started the intense police academy training. Now the accountant-turned-cop is happy in her new profession.

“Every day is different and something new,” she said. “I’m constantly learning and meeting new people. And more than anything, I get to help people.”

On slower days, Fraide likes to initiate “proactive stops.” She will often make consensual pedestrian encounters to talk with the local homeless about their shelter and food situations as well as offer local resources to those in need.

Fraide is one of eight women in the GPD. Statistically speaking, the ratio of men to women is disproportionate. In law enforcement, female officers make up about 12 percent of personnel per agency, she said.

As a woman in the male-dominated policing community, the grueling training was extra difficult because she was forced to prove her strength and worth to her male counterparts.

“You have to prove to not just yourself, but to them, that you can handle your own, be reliable, and that you can do this job and do it well,” she said.

Being an officer is often stressful. Driving around city streets in a patrol car and wearing an officer’s uniform automatically makes her a target. Being hyper vigilant is an understatement.

“You have to constantly be watching your back,” she said. “If you stop and get a cup of coffee, there’s certain areas where you’re going to stand out. You just have to be aware.”

Fraide’s most frightening incident happened in 2021 when David Lopez, a homicide suspect, ambushed her with gunfire outside the Gilroy Post Office. In imminent danger, she returned fire and killed him. Deputy District Attorney Robert Baker concluded the use of force was reasonable.

“Officer Catalina Fraide’s disciplined response to a live-fire ambush by a violent felon intent on killing police officers is a credit to her training, professionalism and courage,” he wrote in a public report.

She often faces adrenaline rushes, so by the time she gets home, she needs to leave her job back at work. To maintain her mental health, Fraide regularly meets with a therapist who specializes in working with first responders.

“When life gets a little bit chaotic and I want to talk about certain things, I go over and empty my cup,” she said. “People think that because you see a therapist, you’re not mentally well. And that’s absolutely not the truth. It always helps to talk to somebody who’s completely unbiased and not attached to the circumstances or your situation.”

She also regularly attends salsa dance classes with her husband as a form of bonding and marriage counseling to help destress during her time off.

Fraide chose to work in the GPD because the medium-sized department offers many specialties. She is on the bike patrol team, honor guard, defensive tactics team, and is an arson investigator.

“Having so many options and opportunities to expand and grow, that was attractive to me,” she said. “I like the ability to talk to people from all walks of life and provide resources and solutions.”

One unexpected outcome of joining the GPD that surprised Fraide is that she has become a sponsored international soccer player. She grew up playing the game but never thought she might bring soccer into her career. The officer played in mid-June on the Northern California women’s soccer team at the 2023 U.S. Police & Fire Championships in San Diego. In July, she will travel to Winnipeg to play in the 2023 World Police and Fire Games. The Gilroy Police Officers Association sponsored Fraide’s equipment and travel for these events.

Fraide also prides herself on combining femininity and strength while in uniform. She proudly carries pink handcuffs for the occasional arrest.

“When I have encounters with younger girls, the first thing they notice is the pink handcuffs,” she said. “And so I always tell them pink is my favorite color. I’m a girl and I’m super girly outside of this uniform.”

A daily component of her job is to combat the stigma of unreliability many women experience in law enforcement.

“I would definitely recommend more women become cops because I’m doing it, and I know it can be done,” she said. “Although it’s challenging, it’s very rewarding.”

Kaylee Arca is a freelance writer and Morgan Hill resident.