CBI agents who found children missing for months given national honor
DENVER (KDVR) — Three Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents were honored as national award winners for the safe recovery of two missing children and the arrest of their grandmother in Hotchkiss.
The annual Top Cops Awards, sponsored by the National Association of Police Organizations, recognized Agent-in-Charge James Fuller, Agent Travis Peck and Agent Richard Tifft.
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The three agents were part of a missing and endangered children case that was originally reported on May 30, 2023. The children were found in January in Delta County, near the intersection of of Ash Lane and Aspen Lane — near where the children had last been seen, months before.
The children were found in a residence there and safely taken into custody of Child Protective Services. Agents ultimately arrested Jacqueline Ballard, the children’s grandmother, and Jacqueline’s daughter, Danielle Ballard.
The investigation involved 12 search warrants, surveillance and intensive data and records research that eventually led to the successful recovery of the siblings.
“I’m so incredibly proud of these agents and the work they did not just in this case, but in their everyday work pursuing justice for the citizens of Colorado,” said CBI Director Chris Schaefer in a release. “I already knew of their relentless dedication to piece together the puzzles of some of our most complicated cases, but it’s gratifying to see them be deservedly recognized on the national level for their efforts.”
The awards are given to officers from the top 10 cases in the nation. In each remaining state, one case is selected for an Honorable Mention award. All award winners were nominated by fellow officers and selected from hundreds of nominations by an independent committee.
Another Colorado Honorable Mention was given to Deputy U.S. Marshal Mick Bunn.
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The 31st Annual Top Cops Awards Dinner will take place during National Police Week in Washington, D.C. The ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 12.
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