On Sept. 14, Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy invited the public to the department’s 11th annual Evening of Heroes.
This annual fundraising event, hosted by the Chula Vista Police Foundation, honors the men and women of the Chula Vista Police Department, including those who performed above and beyond this past year in service to their community. Their stories are compelling and even life-changing for some members of the community.
Agent Natalie Garnsey, Officer Daniel Hernandez were honored with the Life Saving Award, while Sergeant Chris Fisher and Sergeant Evan Linney received Department Exceptional Service for responding to a car fire on Interstate 5, typically transferred to the California Highway Patrol, just after 11 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2023.
“Chula Vista Police officers arrived on scene to find a man screaming for his life while trapped inside a burning car on the side of the freeway. The officers worked quickly – battling the flames and their own fears – to reach the man trapped in the car; breaking out a rear window and pulling him to safety just seconds before the car was fully engulfed. It took bravery, teamwork, and tremendous courage. This man is alive in part because of the men and women of the Chula Vista Police Department and innovative technology which played a vital role in his rescue.
When the man awoke from a coma four weeks later, he learned what the officers did to save him. He expressed gratitude and acknowledged how differently things might have ended if not for the actions they took. He said, ‘I feel like I got a second chance. I’m so appreciative that they were able to get there in time and do what they did. If they didn’t, I wouldn’t be here
today.’”
A video titled “Man Rescued from Burning Car” can be found on the Chula Vista Police Department YouTube page, which shows footage of the intense rescue: https://youtu.be/3LT0nCt4WNo.
“James Moore and Nicolas Castro received the Citizen Exceptional Service Award for aiding a crash victim in the early hours of Oct. 6, 2023, in the 1500 block of H. Street.
The sound of the crash caught the attention of James Moore and Nicolas Castro, two separate residents in the area. As the 9-1-1 calls began coming in, James and Nicolas each walked out of their homes and saw the car on fire. James noticed the driver was trapped in the car and hurried to his aid. The driver was unresponsive as the fire started growing in the rear compartment. James and Nicolas worked together to free the man before the flames reached him. They started breaking the windows and ended up removing the windshield, where they were able to pull the man out to safety just before the car became fully engulfed. Had James and Nicolas waited for first responders to arrive, the driver in this incident might not have survived. The Chula Vista Police Department will be recognizing James Moore and Nicolas Castro for their selflessness and quick thinking to save a man’s life.”
Guest also had the opportunity to interact with members of SWAT, the Mobile Field Force Team, K9 Team, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Drone Team, and Crime Lab. Learn more about Chula Vista’s internationally acclaimed Drone as First Responder program and experience 3-D crime scenes created by the Crime Lab’s new scanner.
