By Paul Garrod
Staff Writer
news4garrod@gmail.com
HARTFORD – Two Hartford teenagers, students at Hartford High School, were recently honored by the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office for their quick actions in putting out a construction trailer fire.
Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott said on March 13, three juveniles set a construction trailer on fire in Hartford. Two teenagers who lived near where the incident took place, the 100 block of 60th Ave., in the City of Hartford, saw individuals fleeing from the trailer that had just been set on fire. Rigo Moreles and Kamryn Johnson ran to the trailer with fire extinguishers and put it out.
“They were able to save the trailer and contents due to their actions,” said Sheriff Abbott in a press release. Detectives from the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office worked on the arson and were able to develop suspects who were ultimately charged for the incident. Sheriff Abbott said Sheriff’s Office detectives were working on other cases involving the same suspects and linked them to this incident as well.
Sheriff Abbott made Moreles and Johnson Honorary Sheriff’s Deputies for their actions regarding this incident and swore them in on Monday. The Hartford Fire Department also honored the two with certificates for their actions, two new fire extinguishers, and a photo of them putting out the fire. “It was truly great to see young adults in our community not afraid to do the right thing when it needed to be done. We see incidents across the United States over and over with people not wanting to get involved, so it was great to see these two lead by example,” said Sheriff Abbott.
