Erik Estrada first captured hearts in the classic 70s police show ‘CHiPs,’ known as ‘Patrulla Motorizada’ in some places. More than four decades later, he’s still got that magic touch.
The 76-year-old TV legend recently surprised fans at Tucson Comic-Con in Arizona, which ran from August 29 to 31. He greeted everyone with a big smile and posed for photos at the popular culture festival. Estrada looked sharp in a purple button-down shirt and a cool blue vest.
He also sat down for interviews, including one with Dawn Page News. They later shared a video of their chat on TikTok, letting fans get a closer look at the star. The video of Estrada, who famously played Officer Frank Poncherello on ‘CHiPs’ from 1977 to 1983, quickly became a hit. People were amazed by how good he looked. One TikTok user excitedly wrote, "Wow. Does this guy ever get old? Keep it up!" Another fan chimed in, saying, "Brother, you’re aging perfectly." A prominent news publication reported that over 150 comments praised him.
Estrada’s appearance created quite a buzz online. This happened just days before he was set to show up at another fan event. He’s scheduled for Retro Con 2025 in Oaks, Pennsylvania, from Saturday, September 6, to Sunday, September 7. His Instagram post teasing Retro Con 2025 also got a lot of love, with one fan commenting, "He still has that beautiful smile," and another adding, "Double E is a cool guy."
Back in 2016, Estrada made a surprising career announcement. He shared on X (then Twitter) that he had accepted a new role as a police officer in St. Anthony, Idaho. This move showed that his TV work had truly inspired his real-life path.
A photo from that time showed Estrada in a sharp navy blue uniform, standing proudly next to a white Harley-Davidson motorcycle. In the picture, he flashed his signature wide smile, looking very much like he was about to film a scene right out of ‘CHiPs.’
In the months that followed, Estrada spoke with the Idaho State Journal about his job as a reserve officer. His main focus was protecting children from online dangers. "Education is the best protection, especially on the internet," Estrada told the newspaper back then. He also shared with KPVI, an Idaho news channel, how much he looked forward to serving the community. "It’s a small community, and they need what we want to do, and they will let us do it, and with their help, we can achieve it," Estrada explained at the time.