Without the quick thinking and quick action of two Grays Harbor residents, a mother might not have seen her two young children again.
"I wouldn't wish it upon anyone," the mother said in reference to her children who went missing while she was dropping off Section 8 papers at their father's house. "It's the worst feeling in the world not knowing where your children went and it's your fault."
The mother asked not to be identified given the negative comments she's seen on social media about the incident on May 15 that involved a man stealing her car while her six-year-old and 18-month-old girls were inside. She thought they might be gone forever.
Instead, 10 minutes after the initial 911 call about her stolen children and vehicle, Jeffery L. Alderton II and Robert Olson spotted the mother's vehicle and children at the 7-11 in South Aberdeen.
To thank them for their heroism, the mother baked Alderton and Olson an apple pie. The mother, who was choking back tears, spoke about the ordeal right outside Hoquiam's City Council Chambers Monday night after the two men received recognition from Hoquiam Mayor Ben Winkelman and Hoquiam Police Chief Joe Strong for their efforts to save the children.
"It was 5 to 8 minutes tops," the mother said. "I walked from the back of the house to the front of the house. I was dropping off papers for my daughter's stepmom and I literally walked to the front."
The mother said she couldn't park in front like normal, so she had to park behind the house.
"I walked out front, talked to (the stepmom) for a second, told her when the Section 8 papers were due," the mother said. "She asked me to watch her little ones while she ran her big ones to school. I said 'OK.' I sat her son down, right there, right inside the door. I went to grab my girls and the car was gone."
She said her first thought her six-year-old's dad moved the car because that's where he parks.
"But then I ran to the front and ... I couldn't breathe," the mother said. "It's just the worst feeling ever and I didn't know when I was going to see my babies again. Thank the Lord, Grays Harbor Scanner and people who are on it all the time."
The mother said while it's sad, the truth was she wasn't really a fan of law enforcement before the incident.
"I never thought they would be there for people who like actually needed them, but I actually needed them and they restored my faith in people," she said. "Everyone jokes around saying I have the worst luck, but I guess I have the best luck. Because in 10 minutes, they were gone for 10 minutes, and (the police) already found them."
Cosmopolis Police Chief Heath Layman was the first officer to arrive at 7-11. Layman left his vehicle and approached the suspect, 34-year-old Anthony Dennis Hurley, who tried to flee on foot. Layman called in about Hurley's attempt to escape and stayed with the children. The children were unharmed, according to Strong. Hurley is facing a kidnapping second-degree charge as well as a Taking Motor Vehicle Without Permission second-degree charge, according to the Grays Harbor County Jail roster. Hurley was levied $100,000 cash or surety bond, according to Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office.
Layman said after the incident he's "grateful," to be part of a multiagency effort to save kids and serve the community. It's evident that effort in this case is a key piece to what led to the quick resolution, because Aberdeen Police Sgt. Gary Sexton responded to Layman's call and was the one to stop and arrest Hurley.
Inside the council chambers, Strong read the citizen commendations for Alderton and Olson, which described the initial incident, the service call challenges law enforcement faces and the call officers hope not to get.
"We respond to hundreds of calls for service per week in Aberdeen and Hoquiam," Strong said. "Most of the calls are routine, some are exciting and some are violent and dangerous. Although we, as police officers, like the diversity of service on a daily basis, I can tell that this is the call we never want to get: a child abduction with no suspect and no direction of travel. The only information was a gold minivan with two kids inside."
Then he described the initial call.
"At about 8:38 a.m., dispatch advised Hoquiam Police units a vehicle theft had just occurred in the 2700 block of Pacific Avenue," Strong said.
Strong described the team effort involved.
"Law enforcement from all around Grays Harbor County began their response towards Hoquiam, hoping for any updates," Strong said. "Lieutenant Jeff Salstrom and Detective Breaunna Simpson responded directly to the scene to gain any critical information possible. Within two minutes, they obtained the license plate number and identifying features of the van as well as detailed descriptions of the missing children. Unfortunately, due to the chaotic nature of a critical even such as this, law enforcement does not have the resources to immediately notify local media in order to produce a blast of information to the public to 'be on the lookout.'"
That's where Alderton and Olson's quick actions come into play. They saw a social media post that described the "preliminary information" officers on scene had put out on the radio.
"Almost immediately after viewing this social media post, at 8:48 a.m., you and Mr. Olson drove by the Sunshine Deli and saw a vehicle matching the description of the stolen vehicle," Strong said. "To get a closer look, you pulled into the parking lot and confirmed there were two small children inside. At this point, you had located two kidnapped girls."
Strong said the men then called 911 and described with great detail what was going on.
"Within 90 seconds of your call to 911, the first officer arrived on scene and ensured the two kidnapped girls were safe," Strong said. "Moments later, additional law enforcement officers arrived and took the suspect into custody after a foot pursuit."
Strong recalled what Alderton and Olson said to him when Strong arrived.
"You both told me that you knew you had the right vehicle and you knew the suspect was also there," Strong said. "Most poignantly, you told me, 'Those girls weren't leaving the parking lot!' I don't know you, but I am certain by the conviction in your voice, that those words were true."
Jamie Brand, Hoquiam city councilor, said the men "did an amazing thing."
"They were aware of what was going on and reacted faster than most people do," Brand said.
The incident reminded Brand of another abduction case that ended tragically.
"I actually thought of the Lindsey Baum case where she went missing and is not coming back," Brand said.
Brand seemed to understand the mother's decision to leave the children in the car. They were asleep and by the looks of it since they were at their father's house, they were safe.
"You do these things without realizing how quick it can turn bad," Brand said of leaving children in the car. "I don't know of a parent who hasn't gone to fill up gas, go and put stuff in the mailbox, or drop off bills. Really? You're gonna unload the two kids every time you leave the car for 30 seconds? No."
The mother added how she normally has her two oldest children in the car — at least one old enough to drive — but she was just dropping off papers. She didn't think this could happen to her, especially in an otherwise safe location such as the "co-parent's" driveway.
Winkelman was happy to honor the men.
"It was really nice to have them recognized," Winkelman said. "I think our chief did an excellent job of providing some awareness for their recognition, because it was a situation, like the chief mentioned, that's a call that nobody wants to get. When you're in law enforcement you feel a responsibility to protect your citizens and solve the crime and get the bad guy. That type of incident in your community makes the community not feel safe.
Winkelman said the fact residents can work with law enforcement to find an almost immediate response is "better than you see in any Hollywood movie," and that it's "pretty cool" to recognize their due diligence.
"They potentially saved lives," Winkelman said. "They certainly saved a lot of hard work and heartache for families and law enforcement. It was my honor to be able to assist the chief in recognizing them for their contributions to making that whole situation end in a short, peaceful manner."
Winkelman seemed to think about his own children because, just as the mother did, he thought about what could have happened to those two children.
"I can only imagine so many hundreds of different ways that could have ended if those two individuals hadn't intervened and done the right thing when they happened to be in the right space," Winkelman said.
Just as Winkelman saw it as an honor to help recognize the men, Strong's close to the commendation cut precisely to the importance of the men's actions.
"I cannot overstate how critical your alertness and decisive actions affected our community on the morning of May 15th," Strong said. "I cannot thank you enough. You two were the critical piece in the apprehension of this dangerous suspect and most importantly, the safe return of missing girls. It is because of your heroic actions that their family does not have to endure long lasting trauma."
The mother, grateful beyond words as tears streamed down her face, stood there quietly. With her six-year-old daughter hugging the mother's legs, the mother asked her a couple questions.
"What do you think babe? Are you thankful?" the mother said, just before her child shook her head yes to each question. "Are you happy to be back to mom? Was it scary?"
