CVSS Awards Six Deputies for 'Hook of the Month'

Six deputies from Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station were recognized Tuesday for Hook of the Month awards. Each deputy recognized was presented a certificate of appreciation and will have his name engraved on a plaque at the station. In addition these deputies were also presented with special flashlights as recognition from Chang H. Cho, a businessman and leader in the local Korean communities served by the station.

January recipients were deputies Alvaro Barreras, Eric Metten, Roman Foss and John Kelly. They were honored for their participation in a January pursuit and capture of a car hijacker. A Mercedes hijacked in Pasadena was equipped with a tracking device which assisted law enforcement from three agencies to locate the car. CVSS deputies pursued in patrol cars, assisted by a Pasadena Police Department helicopter which constantly updated the car's position. The deputies were also aided by civilians on the street who indicated the direction the car was traveling. The hijacker eventually abandoned the car but was arrested as he fled on foot. He was found to be a two-striker.

Deputies Andrew Cronin and Juan Martinez were recognized for their arrest of a DUI suspect. They first observed the vehicle driving erratically and, as they followed, the driver stopped briefly at a 7-11 store, then reentered his vehicle and resumed his erratic driving path. At this point he was stopped and arrested for DUI.

Captain Tim Peters stressed the significance of DUI arrests. "Each drunk driver is considered by the department to be a potential murderer," Peters said. He said his first arrest as a deputy had been a DUI and when he commented to his supervisor that he wished he'd made a more significant arrest as his first his supervisor stressed to him that any DUI is considered a "significant arrest."

Sgt. Gloria Ramirez is in charge of the Hook (arrest) of the Month program and examines all reports filed at the station. She then refers them to department supervisors who select their nominees. Those nominees are then reviewed by Captain Peters who makes the final selection of honorees.

Also Tuesday there were two awards made to members of the Korean community: Chang S. Cho was awarded an engraved statuette for organizing a seminar to educate parents on drug awareness in their own families. This day long seminar had a huge attendance by Korean families and heard presentations by Captain Peters and Deputy Gil Arce of the Narcotics Bureau at CVSS. Cho said he would like presentations made also to the many Korean churches in the local communities.

A second engraved statuette was presented to Helen Chu, president of the La Crescenta Korean Parents' Club. The organization recently prepared a barbecue for all station personnel and Chu stated that they hoped this was just the first of many such events to show appreciation to the station and its personnel.