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Kim Johnson ReportingTwo Utahns were honored for responding to an Amber Alert, and helping police bring a little boy home safely.
188 children have been found nationwide since the Amber Alert system became operational. One of those children is three-and-a-half-year old Chaseten Martinez. Last October authorities issued an amber alert, after the boy's father allegedly made threats to kill himself and the boy.
Tonya McPeak and Steve Garrett spotted the man's car, followed him, and gave authorities information that led to the apprehension of the father, and safe return of the child. McPeak says after she heard the Amber Alert, she had a feeling she would see the suspect's car.
Tonya McPeak: “Look, there’s a car. It was shocking. A lot of adrenaline flowing, like, okay, now what do I do? But I’d thought about it before so I knew what I was going to do if I’d seen it, so I did. I called 9-1-1 just like they told me to.”
Elaine Runyan Simmons, who's daughter Rachel was abducted and murdered twenty two years ago, presented McPeak and Garrett with the Rachel Runyan award.
Steve Garrett: “It’s amazing that I was at the right place at the right time, and goes to show that anybody can be part of something like this and it’s good to be aware.”
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff also announced that 400 Comcast employees will be directly connecting to Utah's Amber Alert system. Anyone else who would like to be directly notified can sign up on www.bci.utah.gov.
