The Trenton Times published the following article on May 19, 2013. To read the full article, click here.
Trenton police department personnel and civilians given awards for valor
By Alex Zdan/The Times
on May 19, 2013 at 6:55 AMTRENTON – The suspect was strangling the elderly woman at knifepoint when Sgt. David Cruz walked into her home.
Backup units hadn’t arrived yet, but Cruz could hear a distraught voice and decided to enter alone.
Taking control of the situation, he held at gunpoint the two men who had invaded the home, keeping the woman from further harm until other officers came in and placed the men under arrest.
This account of what a police citation calls “undying bravery” was read Thursday night, in a City Hall ceremony where Cruz was given the Valor Award, the department’s highest honor. It’s the second time in his career Cruz has received the honor.
“I would have done what everybody else would have done,” Cruz said afterward.
But the bravery and professionalism that Cruz, 18 of his fellow officers, and three police dogs showed over the last year brought high praise from Police Director Ralph Rivera, who spent a career with the New Jersey State Police.
“Troopers are good, they do good work,” Rivera said. “But the work you do every day is just incredible. I can’t find the words to express it.”
Two prosecutor’s office detectives and two communications workers also were honored, along with four civilians.
Karina Choz was 17 last January when she fought through a fire raging inside her home to find her injured uncle, providing a dispatcher with information that allowed firefighters to go in and save his life.
“I’m honored, I’m honored,” Choz said afterward. “I honestly didn’t think what I did was anything special.”
Now, she has an award from police crediting her for “extraordinary bravery,” which she first heard about when a detective and her principal showed up during gym and announced it in front of the whole class.
Her uncle, Joel Caxaj, was at the ceremony too, in good health thanks to Choz.
“It’s still a little difficult to talk about,” Choz said. “It definitely changed a lot of things in my life.”
After awards were handed out, medals pinned, and pictures taken, and the officers and family members filed out, it appeared the ceremony had an impact on one person in particular. A little boy piped up.
“That’s why I want to be a cop!” he said.
In addition to Cruz’s Valor Award, receiving a Commendation of Merit were Officers Nathan Bolognini, Jason McGinley, Jason Astbury, Jason Woodhead, Communications Officer Kevin Seabridge and K-9 dog Buster. Certificates of Commendation were awarded to Officers Robert Arnwine, Travis Maxwell, Timothy Miller, Miguel Acosta, John Sangillo, Matthew Bledsoe, K-9 Roy, Detectives Lisette Estevez, James Letts, Thomas Brophy, and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Detectives Matt Norton and Anthony Petracca.
Command Citations were given to Cruz, Officers Drew Astbury, Bryan Wyszynski, Sangillo, Joseph Ortiz, K-9 Crunch and Communications Supervisor Thomas Cuevas.
Citizens’ Awards went to Choz, Thomas Miller, Fikri Ekim, and Jami Rios.
Contact Alex Zdan at azdan@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5705.