2024 Florida Missing Children's Day (FMCD)
AWARD WINNERS

The Florida Missing Children's Day Foundation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Missing and Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse Advisory Board would like to congratulate the 2024 Florida Missing Children's Day (FMCD) award winners.

The FMCD ceremony is an hour long ceremony, live streamed on the Florida Channel, that consists of two parts. The first part of the ceremony features an award ceremony recognizing citizens, law enforcement personnel, and K9 trailing teams for their exemplary efforts when investigating missing person cases and/or investigations that result in keeping Florida's children safe from harm.

Below are the 2024 FMCD Award Winners. Please join us in recognizing their exemplary efforts keeping Florida safe!

You can watch previous FMCD ceremonies via video by clicking here.

Commissioner's Award
Investigator Maribel Ojeda
Orlando Police Department

In December of 2023, the Florida Department of Children and Families notified Orlando Police Department of an allegation that parents had abandoned a premature infant at a local hospital and fled to Puerto Rico with their two other children. Ojeda’s investigation led to her locating the two children in poor conditions without food or clean clothing in Puerto Rico. Ojeda worked with four law enforcement agencies and three state child protective agencies to safely return the children to Florida and issue warrants for the parents.

John and Revé Walsh Award
Ms. Kristin Morgan
Florida Department of Children & Families

Working with local, state, federal and out of state agencies, Morgan provides support on high risk missing children cases. She is a liaison with FDLE’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse and their advisory board. She contributes to locating and recovering children and assists in child transport services. Recently Morgan assisted in helping determine jurisdiction for three young children between multiple agencies and she also assisted in locating a child in another state who was safely returned to caregivers in Florida.

Law Enforcement Task Force/Team of the Year Award
Detectives Josh Dawson and Justin Dillon | Alachua County Sheriff's Office
Resident Agent in Charge William Porter | Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Special Agents Calvin Lee, Roy Long, and Tracy Rousseau | Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Special Agent Joel Richards | Homeland Security Investigations
Agent Henry Shultz | Texas Department of Public SafetyRes

In July of 2023, FDLE received a request for assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety (Texas DPS) concerning a 16-year-old child that had disappeared from Texas two weeks prior. Texas DPS had tracked the child’s social media accounts to a Florida suspect. FDLE conducted surveillance of the suspect’s home and analysts located a police report filed in June 2023 of a female screaming for help in the woods by the suspect’s residence. The FDLE investigation, with assistance from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Texas DPS, led to a search of the suspect’s home and the recovery of the child. The juvenile had been lured to Florida with the promise of a better life. Instead, she was tortured, starved, drugged and assaulted until her rescue. Two suspects were arrested and pled guilty to federal charges.

Evelyn Williams Memorial Award
Ms. Michaela Darty
Florida Department of Children & Families

In the past year, Darty worked on two complex human trafficking operations, We Will Find You in May of 2023, and Seminole Saber in May of 2024, that together recovered more than 50 children. Working with local, state and federal agencies, Darty established recovery sites and directly supported law enforcement command centers.

Local Law Enforcement of the Year Award
Detectives Chase King and Henrik Östhed

Marion County Sheriff's Office

In November of 2023, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a runaway child. Detectives King and Östhed’s investigation revealed that the child had not ran away, but had been kidnapped by an adult Tennessee man. The man had been communicating with and grooming the child on a gaming app.
The detectives believed the child was in extreme danger. Within hours of receiving the case, Detectives King and Östhed identified, located and arrested the suspect in Tennessee and recovered the child unharmed. Additionally, the detectives continue to work other leads connected to this case and have uncovered a network of sexual abusers that prey on children throughout the United States and the world.

Jimmy Ryce Trailing Team of the Year Award
Deputy Kelli Covet & K9 Anthem

Broward County Sheriff's Office

On a December 2023 evening with 25 mph winds, deputies from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office were urgently dispatched to a residence where a 9-year-old autistic child in diapers has suddenly gone missing. Deputy Covet and K-9 Anthem were among the first to arrive to the scene. Covet used a sterile gauze to absorb the child’s scent from one of the child’s shoes and Anthem navigated the child’s trail. When Anthem suddenly changed direction, the child’s father spotted his son in the roadway. The father specifically noted that Anthem’s change in direction was instrumental in finding his son and expressed profound gratitude for the skilled actions of Covet and Anthem.

Maple Everyday Hero Award
Community Service Officer Tyron Crook
Kissimmee Police Department

In 2023, Crook was assigned more than 78 missing persons cases, of which 31 were missing children cases. Because of Crook’s investigative efforts, all 31 missing children were successfully recovered, often within days of the initial report.

State Law Enforcement of the Year Award
Trooper Trent Sistrunk
Florida Highway Patrol

In November of 2023, Trooper Sistrunk received a call about a 12-year-old child who had gone missing, who might have been traveling on a Greyhound bus. Sistrunk located the bus in Hamilton County and personally checked on each passenger, ultimately locating the child. The child was alone and unharmed, but Sistrunk learned the child had been a victim of crimes in Florida and other states.

School Bus Operator of the Year Award
Ms. Ramonita Cancel

Seminole County Public Schools

During a routine morning bus route, Cancel witnessed a suspicious interaction between a 9-year-old child and an adult male in a pickup truck. Recognizing that the child was uncomfortable, Cancel intervened and confronted the man. She pursued the man and provided vital information about the suspect to law enforcement, which was pivotal in the suspect’s apprehension.

Combatting Human Trafficking Award
Ms. Karen Sztukowski
Escambia County Sheriff's Office

Between November of 2023 and March of 2024, an endangered missing 15-year-old girl was the victim of human trafficking in multiple jurisdictions. Administrative Support Assistant Sztukowski collected, analyzed and disseminated crucial information to local, state, federal and non-profit agencies working on the case. Her work directly assisted in the successful recovery of the juvenile victim and the arrest of one of the suspects.

Citizen of the Year Award
Mr. Timothy Williams

In August of 2023, an adult male attempted to kidnap an 11-year old girl at her bus stop. The girl fought back until Williams, a local parent and off-duty Department of Corrections worker, intervened and detained the suspect until law enforcement arrived. The suspect confessed that he planned on abducting and sexually assaulting the young girl. Because of Williams’ actions the girl is safe.

Florida Missing Children's Day Student Contest Winners

Florida Missing Children’s Day (FMCD) recognizes this year’s poster winner, essay contest winner, and National Anthem contest winner. The goal of these contests is to provide an opportunity for teachers, families, and communities to discuss ways for children to protect themselves from abduction.
If you have a student or child in 5th grade interested in participating in the essay or poster contest or a 1st thru 8th student interested in the National Anthem contest, please visit our student contest page to see the related requirements and deadlines. Submissions will open in December 2024.

Poster Contest Winner | Suah
Suah’s winning poster depicts the moon and stars, symbolizing the importance of hope despite darkness. The 2024 statewide billboard’s design pictured above was based on Suah’s artwork. The poster contest is open to Florida 5th graders and all participants will receive a signed Certificate of Excellence from FDLE.

Essay Contest Winner | Davis
In Davis’ essay, he explains several ways for children to prevent and resist abduction. He includes helpful tips regarding what to do if abducted and ways to stay safe online. Davis states, “...If the abductor grabs you, feel free to kick, punch, elbow, scream, yell, do anything to try to pry yourself loose from the abductor’s grip.” The essay contest is open to Florida 5th graders and all participants will receive a signed Certificate of Excellence from FDLE. Please limit to 1 entry from each class or school.

National Anthem Contest Winner | Valentina
Valentina performed her rendition of the National Anthem during this year’s ceremony. The National Anthem contest is open to elementary and middle schoolers, and the winner will perform at next year’s FMCD ceremony on September 8, 2025. Prize is contingent on attendance and performance at FMCD.