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ARMANDO CHAZ MENDOZA, AKA "MANDO", "BIG DADDY", AND OFFICER MENDOZA IS A BEACON OF LIGHT, LOVE, COURAGE, AND POSITIVITY! MANDO DEDICATED HIS LIFE PURPOSE TO LIVE LOVE AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST. MANDO SHARED HIS LOVE WITH ANYONE AND EVERYONE, PUTTING A SMILE ON THIER FACE WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MINUTES OF MEETING THEM. HE PROVIDED A SENSE OF COMFORT, HUMOR, CONFIDENCE, AND PURPOSE. MANDO'S JOY FOR LIFE SHOWED IN ALL THAT HE DID, AND WHEN HE MADE THE DECISION TO JOIN THE CLAYTON COUNTY POLICE DEPT., THEY HAD NO IDEA THEY WERE ABOUT TO BE INFECTED WITH THE LEVEL OF HONESTY, DEDICATION, LOYALTY, AND PROFESSIONALISM THEY RECEIVED. 

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MANDO'S PERSONAL VISION WAS TO DEVELOP, INFLUENCE, AND TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF THOSE THAT WANTED TO BUILD AN ABUNDANT, POWERFUL, FEARLESS VERSION OF THEMSELVES IN EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE. HE REALIZED THAT THE YOUTH OF TODAY NEEDED MORE POSITIVE AND SUCCESSFUL MENTORS IN THEIR LIVES THAT LOOK JUST LIKE THEM. MANDO, HIS MOTHER, AND HIS BROTHER COLLECTIVELY CREATED A BLUEPRINT THAT STARTED WITH THE EACH OF OF THEM CONTINUING THEIR OWN JOURNEY OF SUCCESS WHILE BUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF THE YOUTH TOGETHER. EXPOSING THE YOUTH TO OTHER MEANS OF SUCCESS BY IDENTIFYING THEIR TRUE IDENTITY, PURPOSE, AND LIFE TRANSFORMATION. THROUGH THE VISION CREATED BY MANDO AND HIS FAMILY THEY WOULD CREATE A COMMUNITY OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO WILL LEAD A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE, PURPOSE, AND CREATE A LEGACY THAT WILL SHIFT THE WORLD WITH ONE PERSON AT A TIME. THIS VISION INFLUENCED ARMANDO TO BECOME A CCPD OFFICER. HE SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY ON A LEVEL THAT POSITIVELY IMPACTED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLAYTON COUNTY RESIDENTS AND THE CCPD. 

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ON APRIL 19TH, 2021 WHILE ON TARA BOULEVARD, OFFICER MENDOZA'S SQUAD CAR WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE IMPACT IMMEDIATELY CAUSED ARMANDO'S DEATH. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF ATTEMPTING TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE LOSS OF HER ONLY CHILD, CHEF BIANCA MENDOZA ENDED HER JOURNEY WITH PLAZA GOURMET. IN AN EFFORT TO HONOR MANDO'S MEMORY, LEGACY, AND LOVE OF FOOD, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO OPEN MANDO'S BISTRO. A PLACE FOR CARIBBEAN AMERICAN GOURMET CUISINE. 

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