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Citizen Airman honored for helping thwart attempted kidnapping

  • Published
  • By Ms. Ciara Gosier
  • Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  

In a heart-stopping incident that unfolded in mid-February, a child narrowly escaped an attempted kidnapping thanks to the quick thinking and heroic actions of Senior Master Sgt. Shantrice Mercado, a communications systems manager at Air Force Reserve Command headquarters here.

On Thursday, Mercado received the Air and Space Commendation Medal for Heroism in a small ceremony at Robins.

The near-kidnapping took place in broad daylight, on what seemed to be a normal outing among friends at High Falls Start Park in Jackson, Georgia.

As Mercado, a friend and their daughters were walking trails and enjoying the scenic views, an unknown individual attempted to forcibly take Mercado’s friend’s child.

“It all happened so quickly and was very unexpected,” Mercado said. “This random girl ran up between us and lifted my friend’s daughter up and tried to start running forward.”

Sensing the danger, Mercado’s military training and instincts quickly took over and she sprang into action. Without hesitation, she assessed the situation and swiftly intervened by attempting to subdue the assailant and ensure the safety of the child.

While the child’s mother was asking the female assailant if she knew her child, the individual managed to escape Mercado’s grasp and attempted to flee.

“I reached up and yanked her back by her tie-dyed hoodie,” Mercado recalled. “She stumbled backwards into me, and I grabbed her and my friend grabbed her daughter from her arms. She managed to escape my grasp and I ran after her again. I was able to get a good look at her face and I remember I began questioning her.”

Mercado asked the female if she thought her actions were okay and why. She was able to escape Mercado’s grasp again, but not before the NCO was able to capture identifying photos of her and her vehicle.

“She ran toward the gas station,” Mercado said. “I got a photo of her back to show what she was wearing and called 911. I realized she was pulling out of the parking lot, and I was running up the hill and recited what I could see of the license plate to the authorities on the phone and give a vehicle description as she was speeding toward the interstate.”

Mercado credits her military training for allowing her to quickly react to what could have been a devastating turn of events.

“I am definitely grateful for all of my military training,” she said. “We talk about ‘practice like you play’ all the time. They teach us to react in the military and to be always vigilant. Who knows how far she could have gotten if I hesitated.

“I’m also grateful that the military teaches us to be detail-oriented to be able to notice things that can prove to have an impact,” she added. “I am extremely grateful for my faith in God as I believe he was truly present that day in guiding my actions. I can’t tell you how happy I was to be able to see her first-day-of-school photo. This is the ending we always want in these terrible stories.”