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Photos: Gulf Coast residents struggle to recover after Hurricane Harvey\r

Perez was two days shy of his 61st birthday and had been with the department for 34 years, Acevedo said. The sergeant was assigned to the department's traffic enforcement division.

Police notified Perez's family at the sergeant's home, Acevedo said. His wife had asked him not to go into work that day, but Perez responded with, \"We've got work to do,\" Acevedo said.

Perez is survived by his wife and two adult children, the Houston Police Department said on Twitter.

Acevedo described Perez as a \"sweet, gentle public servant\" and a man of faith.

\"When you have faith, there's hope,\" Acevedo said.

Hurricane Harvey has caused record flooding in the Houston area after it made landfall in Texas late Friday night. Nine people, including Perez, have been confirmed dead as a result of the storm, officials said.

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