For Immediate Release
Contact: Lindsay Corcoran (508) 368-7252 or (774) 670-8811
AUBURN – The Auburn Police Officers, including K9 Biza, and dispatchers who all worked together on a cold night in January to bring a missing 12-year-old home were honored by Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. today.
The group all received the District Attorney’s Team Excellence and Merit – TEAM Award – for the search that began on the night of Jan. 31, 2024.
“These officers and dispatchers worked together to swiftly put an end to this family’s worst nightmare,” said Mr. Early. “With temperatures below freezing and uncertainty about how long this child had been exposed to the elements already, everyone knew they had to work quickly. Thankfully, Auburn Police were able to coordinate an effective search that led K9 Biza on the right track to follow the scent and bring this child home.”
At about 10:30 p.m., a mother called the Auburn Police Department reporting that her child had left home on foot sometime after 8:30 p.m. The temperature was about 30 degrees, and the child was not believed to be wearing a winter jacket, only a hooded sweatshirt.
Officers on both the evening and the midnight shift began working together to search the area, check addresses of the child’s friends, and utilize social media to find out where the child had gone.
K9 Biza was deployed and began to track the child’s scent, following an almost 2-mile path eventually finding evidence of where the child had been present. This led officers to search the immediate area and eventually locate the child, just before 1 a.m.
After a precautionary medical evaluation at the hospital, the child was returned home.
“This call spanned two shifts and showed an unbelievable amount of coordination,” said Auburn Police Chief Todd Lemon. “This was an incredible show of teamwork, and we are proud to recognize all of these members of the Auburn Police Department.”
The officers and dispatchers receiving the TEAM Award include:
- Sergeant Mike Tarckini
- Detective Tyler Bresse
- Officer Brandyn Geldart
- Officer Randy Hawley
- Officer Matt Laskes
- Officers Dave Ljunggren and K9 Biza
- Officer John McLaughlin
- Officer Jordan Ryan
- Dispatcher Alex Cortese
- Dispatcher Carrie Girardin
- Dispatcher Madison Hamill
- Dispatcher Brianna Parker
- Dispatcher Luke Snay
The TEAM Award was created by Mr. Early in 2019 to recognize public safety employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. Contact the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office at (508) 755-8601 to nominate someone for this award.
