Chasing an abductor of a 2 year-old driving 100 mph while staying a mile behind him to not agitate him into doing something more reckless.

Losing reliable dispatch communication pursuing the suspect in the hilly terrain of the Altamont on unfamiliar roads and relying on a cellphone to know the whereabouts of the suspect’s vehicle that has an onboard electronic device to allow it to be tracked.

Coming upon an overturned Mercedes sedan with the suspect fleeing on foot, he worries about the child’s safety running more than 100 yards to the overturned vehicle.

When he doesn’t find the child in the car or nearby, he runs after the suspect, arrests and cuffs him and places him in the back of his patrol vehicle.

He then races back to the overturned vehicle where he is joined by a co-worker.

The two start a wider search and find a child’s seat on its side some 15 feet below in a concrete drainage ditch.

Without hesitating, both slide down into the ditch and retrieve the 2 year-old.

They start life saving measures that lead to the child’s pulse returning.

They stay at it until fire and ambulance personnel arrive and take over.

The child is then transported by a CHP helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Oakland.

If you are San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Deputy Mario Stroughter, it’s just another day on the job.

But if you’re the mother of the 2 year-old who is now out of ICU and was given a chance to live, Stroughter — along with other San Joaquin County deputies, dispatchers, and emergency personnel involved — the deputy was a godsend.

“It’s an honor to serve the citizens of San Joaquin County,” Stroughter said Thursday at the Manteca Rotary’s Law Day observation at Great Wolf.

Stoughter was one of five law enforcement officers who were nominated by their colleagues to receive the Donald I. Asher Award outstanding service.

Asher was a San Joaquin County judge and a member of the Manteca Rotary Club.

Sheriff Captain Michael Eastin noted Stroughter had the good judgment to leave a mile distance between him and the suspect vehicle that, besides driving at times in excess of 100 mph on freeways and surface streets, had blown through a stop sign in excess of 50 mph fleeing the home where he abducted the child in Mountain House.

Eastin pointed out it helped not to escalate the situation and increase the risk to other drivers.

Other honorees for 2025 were Manteca Police Detective Jeff Hooten, California Highway Patrol Officer Nathan Gracewski, San Joaquin County District Attorney criminal investigator Misty Springmeyer, and San Joaquin County Probation Department deputy probation officer II Josh Johnson.

Hooten has served with the Manteca Police Department since June 2005.

He has worked patrol, SWAT, and is currently assigned to the Street Crimes Unit.

“What truly sets Detective Hooten apart, however, is his heart for service — both in and out of uniform,” said Manteca Police Chief Stephen Schluer. 

“He does this not for recognition, but because he finds genuine joy in giving back to the community the serves. His work beyond the badge only strengthens the well-rounded, compassionate approach he brings to law enforcement.”

The chief said while volunteering with the Healthy Rooms Project — a bedroom makeover for kids in struggling families — that he and his wife Thaera had an opportunity to speak with the homeowner.

The woman said she believed her daughter, who did not live at the residence, was in a dangerous relationship. There were also strong indications she was a victim if human trafficking.

The chief approached Hooten with the information, even though human trafficking cases usually fall outside the scope of the streets crime unit.

Hooten, without hesitation, agreed to investigate the situation.

Over the following weeks, Hooten dedicated countless hours to surveillance, both physical and electronic.

That led to a search warrant, an arrest, and ultimately a three-year prison term for Israel Roldan.

“Detective Hooten’s willingness to step outside the traditional boundaries of his assignment, his compassion for victims, and his relentless pursuit of justice exemplify the very best of our profession,” Schluer said.

Gracewski is assigned to the Stockton office of the CHP.

He works the graveyard shift, typically the busiest for the CHP. Gracewski is a field training officer as well as the officer in charge when there is no sergeant or lieutenant available.

His efforts during 2024 were typical of his day-to-day work ethics.

*79 traffic collisions investigated that are often serious injuries or fatalities on the graveyard shift due to a higher prevalence of drunken driving.

*38 DUI arrests.

*4 serious felony arrests involving drugs and such.

*554 enforcement stops.

*234 service calls ranging from assisting a motorist with a flat tire to those who are lost.

*Dealing with illegal sideshows.

An example of his tenacity and thoroughness happened in November 2024.

He got into a high speed pursuit of a reckless driver that he terminated out of concern for the public’s safety.

Gracewski had gleaned enough information that he was able to track down the car and driver to a gated property.

He was able to obtain a search warrant and make an arrest.

Johnson was assigned in 2024 to the Delta Regional Auto Theft Task force.

He was involved in 313 investigations, 257 arrests, the recovery of 131 stolen vehicles, 45 felony arrests involving stolen identification, and 51 other felony arrests.

Springmeyer has been a DA investigator since 2018. Prior to that, she worked as a Lodi Police Officer and then a detective. She joined Lodi Police in 2003.

She also volunteers in the community including as a girls softball team coach.

DA Ron Freitas called Springmeyer “humble” while being very tenacious and effective at bringing justice to crime victims.

It is why he selected her to be part of the newly formed cold case task force aimed at bringing justice to victims and their families.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com