30 Deputies Receive Medal of Valor for Heroism

Sheriff Lee Baca presented Medal of Valor awards to 30 of his deputies Wednesday for acts of heroism in the line of duty.

At a packed ceremony and luncheon, Baca awarded the Medal of Valor--the department’s highest honor--to several groups of deputies who placed themselves in danger to rescue either other deputies or county residents.

Deputies Dewayne Brown, David Duarte, Alex Kim, Armando Meneses, Christopher Roberts and Sgt. Roger Ross were cited for saving the life of an inmate who had been severely stabbed and beaten in October in Men’s Central Jail. The deputies, who were also caught up in the fight, got the injured inmate medical help.

Deputies Shane Ouartararo, Kenneth Scheurn, Robert Sonnemann, Kenneth Valenti and Michael Velek were honored for rescuing a man and a boy who had been overcome by toxic fumes in a flood control channel drainage area. The deputies suffered ill effects from the fumes.

Deputies Sonia Parra and Michael Rafter were honored for arresting three attempted-murder suspects after a gun battle in a residential backyard that left Parra wounded.

Other deputies honored were Jeanette Duran-Dingillo, Sean VanLeeuwen, Frank Dominguez, Peter Lavin, Tim Phillips, Charles Kovach, Jay Yelick and Sgt. Katherine Voyer.

Also, Tyrone Berry, Michel Valento, Dean Scoville, Eric Barron, Geoffrey Deedrick, Andrew Turpen, David Poling, Bradford Higgins and Dwight Miley.

Deputy Jeffrey Coates received the meritorious conduct medal for protecting a bystander, as well as his fellow officers, during a gunfight in the Lennox area.