1990 Medal of Valor ceremony honors 27 staff

The 1990 Medal of Valor ceremony was held May 25 at the State Capitol, paying tribute to 27 staff members.

Governor George Deukmejian joined Youth and Adult Correctional Agency Secretary Joe Sandoval and Corrections Director James Rowland to honor staff during the Employee Recognition Program, also known as the Medal of Valor ceremony.

The ceremony featured a keynote address by the Governor and the presentation of the Department’s Medal of Valor to Correctional Officer Pangeeta Carter of Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI) in Tracy.

Twenty-four other employees were honored for acts of heroism and bravery. Also, the Correctional Supervisor and Officer of the Year awards were presented to Sgt. Mathew Mullin, California Correctional Center, Susanville, and Officer Alfred Del Prato, of DVI.

Corrections Medal of Valor

Officer Pangeeta Carter, Deuel Vocational Institution, Tracy

When fellow Officer Edward Hernandez was assaulted during a cell search, Officer Pangeeta Carter responded immediately. Two inmates hit Carter in the face, head, neck, chest and back, then threw her against the second-tier guard rail, dazing her.

They then pulled Hernandez into the cell and threw him to the floor, in a position that incapacitated him. Carter recovered and immediately entered the cell.

She received several more blows to the head, chest and arms, but succeeded in pulling Officer Hernandez out of the cell. The entire incident occurred prior to the arrival of responding staff.

Corrections Gold Star

Sgt. Craig Cummings, California Conservation Center, Susanville

Sgt. Craig Cummings came upon a traffic accident in Fort Bragg in which the vehicle was upside down and flames were coming out of the engine compartment. One passenger was trapped under the hood while the other was hanging, unconscious, out of one of the rear windows.

Cummings, assisted by an area resident, pulled both the victims away from the vehicle to safety. Just a few seconds after the rescue, the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames.

Officer Robert Handley, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, Blythe

While visiting a friend, Avenal State Prison Officer Robert Handley observed smoke coming from the house next door. Handley and his friend ran to the house and found it engulfed in flames with a 4-year-old boy standing outside. The boy told Handley that his nine-year-old retarded sister was inside the house and could not get out.

Handley and his friend ran into the house and found the girl in a hallway, too afraid to move. The men picked the girl up and made their way out of the house.

Just after they passed a gas furnace, it exploded. Had they not made their rescue, the explosion would have prevented any attempt to rescue the girl. Handley then cut off the gas and electricity to the house.

Although this incident happened in 1987, Correction’s officials were not aware of it until Handley transferred from Avenal to Chuckawalla Valley State Prison.

Correctional Counselor Joseph MacKenzie, San Quentin State Prison

While at a club in San Francisco, Correctional Counselor Joseph MacKenzie saw a man strike a club patron in the temple with a bottle. The bottle broke, and the assailant tried to stab and slash the dazed man.

MacKenzie immediately came to the assistance of the injured man. He pulled the assailant off the man and got him under control until the San Francisco Police Department arrived, placing the assailant under arrest.

Sgt. Chris Miramontes, Folsom State Prison

While on duty at a maximum-security unit at Folsom State Prison, during a confrontation between a number of inmates, Sgt. Chris Miramontes observed one inmate repeatedly stabbing another inmate. Without hesitation, he grabbed the aggressor and pulled him away.

Responding staff arrived and restrained the inmate while Miramontes confiscated an inmate manufactured weapon.

Miramontes took control of the scene by directing staff, securing the assailants, returning uninvolved inmates to their cells, and processing evidence.

Corrections Silver Star

Gary Battenfeld, Carpenter, Correctional Training Facility, Soledad

Gary Battenfeld, a carpenter, and another worker were more than 20 feet above the ground as they guided a section of a radio mast being placed into position by helicopter. As the mast swung into place, the other worker was hit and injured.

Battenfeld rushed to his aid, securing him with a safety belt, then used his body to block the swinging mast from hitting the other worker again.

While Battenfeld himself was injured by the swinging mast, he prevented further injury to his co-worker.

Officer Joe Tidwell, California Correctional Institution, Tehachapi

While off duty, Officer Joe Tidwell observed five suspects in a Bakersfield shopping center overcome a senior citizen and take her purse. Tidwell gave chase and was able to tackle one of the suspects. After a struggle, he gained control of the suspect.

Although he sustained a serious knee injury, Tidwell was able to keep the other four suspects away from the captured suspect for 10 minutes, when help arrived.

Corrections Bronze Star

Officers Edward Carrillo and Carole Ramstad, California State Prison-Corcoran

An inmate was discovered hanging in his cell. He was not breathing and had no detectable pulse. Six correctional officers alternated in administering CPR until an ambulance came to transport the inmate to a hospital. Officers Edward Carrillo and Carole Ramstad continued CPR during the ambulance ride, during which the inmate was revived but had a weak pulse and labored breathing.
Carrillo and Ramstad continued to administer CPR in the hospital at the request of emergency room staff. The inmate improved to stable condition, and was transferred to another hospital for long term care but, unfortunately, later died.

Officer Steven Cooper, California Institution for Men, Chino

While enroute to work, Officer Steven Cooper observed a two-car accident. He was first on the scene and determined that one of the accident victims was seriously injured.

He administered first aid for 40 minutes until medical assistance arrived. Cooper is credited with saving the life of the accident victim.

Parole Agent William Crisologo, Parole Region II

While enroute to work, Parole Agent William Crisologo observed a Pasadena Police Officer who had crashed his motorcycle. A crowd had gathered. The police officer had suffered a serious back injury, was dazed and was clutching his service revolver.

Crisologo identified himself to the officer as a peace officer, calmed him, persuaded him to turn his weapon over to him. He unloaded the weapon, then called for paramedics and police back-up. He turned the weapon over to arriving officers.

Officer Lawrence Delahunty, San Quentin State Prison

When an inmate jumped into the water near San Quentin in an attempt to escape, Correctional Officer Lawrence Delahunty responded. The officer climbed down to the water where the inmate punched and kicked him before swimming away.

Waves swept the inmate back toward the base of the guard tower, where Delahunty was able to grab him by the hair and shirt, and with the assistance of responding staff, pull him out of the water and back into custody.

Correctional Officer Rodrick DeYoung, California Institution for Men, Chino

While enroute to work, Correctional Officer Rodrick DeYoung observed an accident on the Interstate 15 freeway. A man was pinned under the cab of his truck, which had rolled over.

Young disconnected the battery cables to prevent an explosion and then, for about 15 minutes, dug in the soil around the trapped man with his bare hands in an effort to free him.

During this time, DeYoung was trying to comfort the man by talking to him.

After others helped pull the victim from beneath the truck, De Young administered CPR.

Unfortunately, the accident victim died later as a result of his injuries.

Officer Robert Diaz, California Rehabilitation Center, Norco

A contractor was severely burned by an electrical explosion in a tunnel at the prison. Correctional Officer Robert Diaz reacted immediately, instructing an electrician to de-energize a transformer in the tunnel, while locating emergency battery lights for use in the tunnel. Diaz then entered the tunnel, and with assistance, carried the victim from the tunnel to the ambulance. He then remained in the area until it was declared safe.

Officer Gustavo Estrado, Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, San Diego

A sheriff’s deputy was confronted by a muscular Navy Seal who refused to leave the parking lot of a San Diego area restaurant. While Estrada was off duty at the time, he identified himself as a peace officer and offered assistance.

A violent fight ensued between the deputy and the sailor. Estrada stepped in, and as a result of his assistance, the suspect was placed in custody.

Sgt. Gwendolyn Gonsouland, Correctional Training Facility, Soledad

Sgt. Gwendolyn Gonsouland was notified there was a man down on the prison recreation yard.
She responded, finding an inmate lying on the ground, blood spurting from his chest. Gonsouland placed a towel over the wound and applied pressure with both hands to stop the bleeding. She also commenced CPR when the inmate went into convulsions and she was unable to find a pulse.

Prison medical staff credited Gonsouland with saving the inmate’s life.

Officer Edward Hernandez, Deuel Vocational Institution, Tracy

Officers Edward Hernandez and Pangeeta Carter were assaulted by two inmates as they searched a cell.

Carter was thrown against the second-tier guard rail and was dazed. Hernandez was wrestled into the cell into a position that incapacitated him, leaving him unable to defend himself. Carter recovered, entered the cell, and while receiving blows to the head, arms and chest, pulled Hernandez to safety. Carter received the Corrections Medal of Valor for her heroic efforts.

Parole Agents Ralph Munoz and Brady Saito, Parole Region III

A parolee called the parole office asking for help after swallowing insect poison in a suicide attempt. Parole Agent Brady Saito determined his name, location, and type of poison ingested. Saito kept the parolee on the phone and talking as paramedics were called.
Parole Agent Ralph Munoz went to the parolee’s residence, located the semiconscious parolee and induced vomiting.
Saito also went to the parolee’s residence where they both administered first aid until paramedics arrived. The parolee recovered.

Correctional Sergeants Fred Schroeder and Steven Vance, Folsom State Prison

A Campaign Against Marijuana Planting raid team, assigned in Santa Cruz County, was approached by a woman whose companion had fallen about 50 feet down a cliff.

Sergeants Fred Schroeder and Steven Vance immediately went down into the canyon where they discovered the injured man, who had suffered serious internal and leg injuries.

Schroeder and Vance provided first aid and lifted the man out of the canyon without the aid of a stretcher. The victim was taken to an area that could be reached by helicopter and airlifted to a nearby hospital.

Officer Edward Snowden, California Correctional Center, Susanville

While in Reno, Correctional Officer Edward Snowden observed an altercation where a victim was stabbed in the back.

The assailant fled. Snowden pursued on foot. Snowden maintained visual contact throughout the chase as Reno police officers responded and apprehended the suspect.

Officer Snowden provided positive identification of the suspect and the location where the weapon was discarded. As a result of Snowden’s testimony at the preliminary hearing, the suspect received a five-year sentence.

Officer Marvin Stanton, Pelican Bay State Prison

While escorting an inmate to his cell, Correctional Officer Marvin Stanton was attacked by another inmate with a 10-inch inmate-made knife. Stanton received a four-inch-deep slash on his neck which severed his exterior jugular vein, and a three-inch-deep cut on his shoulder.

Correctional Officer Gina Banks responded by striking the inmate with her side handle baton while applying pressure to Stanton’s neck to stop the bleeding.

She was stabbed in the neck and shoulder but was successful in keeping the inmate from attacking Stanton further until other staff arrived.

Banks was awarded the Corrections Medal of Valor for her actions during this 1987 incident.

Correctional Counselor Edward Tsao, California State Prison-Corcoran

Counselor Edward Tsao was working in his office when he heard screams for help coming from another office in the building. He responded, finding an inmate attempting to rape a female correctional officer. Tsao entered the office and, using the telephone as a weapon, subdued the inmate. Tsao was injured during the struggle but prevented physical injury to the officer.

Officer James Wilhite, California Correctional Center, Susanville

Late one evening, Officer James Wilhite was working alone in a minimum-security conservation camp when he observed a confrontation between two inmates. One inmate was armed with a two-foot piece of metal pipe. Wilhite ordered the inmates to separate a number of times, but they did not respond. Finally, the inmate with the metal pipe passed it to another inmate, who dropped it on the ground.

Wilhite placed the other inmate, suspected of having a knife, against a wall and searched him for weapons before placing him in mechanical restraints.

Wilhite maintained control of the situation until assistance arrived 30 minutes later.

Correctional Supervisor of the Year

Sgt. Mathew Mullin, California Correctional Center, Susanville

Mullin has been an active Team Leader of the CCC Hostage Negotiations Management Team. His dedication to CDC is exemplified by his commitment to training his staff.

Correctional Officer of the Year

Officer Alfred Del Prato Deuel Vocational Institution, Tracy

Del Prato worked with the most difficult to handle inmates at San Quentin. He joined the Special Emergency Response Team at DVI and later served as leader of the Crisis Entry Squad. He is also recognized for his campaign against drugs.

By Mike Van Winkle, information officer
Communications, Central Office

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