Attorney General Recognizes California Bus Driver At Missing Children's Day Award Ceremony

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch today honored a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority bus driver during the annual Missing Children's Day ceremony.

"The selfless and heroic acts that we recognize today are proof that vigilance and compassion can stand as bulwarks against the dangers faced by our children," said Attorney General Lynch. "I am inspired by the courage of our award recipients and proud to stand with them as we work for a safer and more just future for the young people of America."

Attorney General Lynch presented Walter "Tim" Watson with the OJJDP Administrator Missing Children's Citizen Award, which is given to a private citizen for unselfish actions to safely recover a missing or abducted child.

While Watson was driving his bus route on June 5, 2015, he received an emergency message from his dispatcher to watch for a man who had just kidnapped a small boy from a local library. Realizing the descriptions of the man and child matched two of his passengers, Watson pulled the bus over under the pretense of looking for a lost backpack so he could get a better look at the suspect and child. His suspicion confirmed, he alerted authorities and slowly proceeded along his route, allowing police time to arrive at the transit station to arrest the kidnapper as he got off the bus. The boy was rescued and returned safely to his family.

In addition to Watson, the Attorney General recognized the efforts of five other individuals and an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their extraordinary efforts to protect children. The Attorney General also recognized Michael Wu, a fifth grader from Walnut Elementary School, Walnut, Calif., as the 17th winner of the Annual National Missing Children's Day Art Contest. 

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. More information about OJP can be found at http://www.ojp.gov.

SOURCE Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs

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http://www.ojp.gov