The Gold Star medal is awarded for heroic deeds under extraordinary circumstances.
The employee shall display courage in the face of immediate peril in acting to save the life of another person.
2026 Gold Star honorees
CDCR is honoring five Gold Star Medal recipients for extraordinary bravery in life‑threatening situations. We recognize the heroes who stepped in during major crashes, pulled people from burning and overturned cars, rescued trapped teenagers as smoke and flames intensified, and pulled a drowning man from deep water. Each action shows the courage and judgment recognized by the Gold Star Medal, awarded to CDCR employees who face danger to save someone’s life.
Jeffrey Bargstadt, Correctional Sergeant, Gold Star
California Health Care Facility, Stockton
Orlando Gomez, Correctional Officer, Bronze Star
Mule Creek State Prison, Ione
Sgt. Jeffrey Bargstadt and his wife, a registered nurse at California Health Care Facility, were on their way to work when they came across a disabled vehicle on northbound Highway 99 near Stockton. The car had hit the center concrete median and remained at an angle, halfway in the fast lane.
After quickly pulling over, Bargstadt ran across the freeway toward the disabled vehicle and pried the door open. The driver said a truck had hit him. As Bargstadt began to pull the driver out, he looked back and saw a vehicle speeding toward them. Bargstadt jumped onto the concrete center median wall. A split-second later, the car slammed into the disabled vehicle. Sgt. Bargstadt watched the driver get ejected. The driver did not survive.
The other vehicle then spun out and sideswiped Bargstadt’s SUV with his wife in the vehicle. After checking on his wife, who was not seriously hurt, Bargstadt then went to check the other car. The driver exhibited signs of being intoxicated. He and a female passenger then ran into the area orchards.
The driver and female passenger who fled the scene were eventually caught, and Bargstadt helped identify them. For his actions, Sgt. Jeffrey Bargstadt is awarded the Gold Star.
Correctional Officer Orlando Gomez stopped and rendered aid to a young female passenger in their vehicle who suffered serious injuries.
He also cut away the rear airbag from the vehicle and directed firefighters to other victims who needed assistance. For these actions, he is awarded the Bronze Star.
Thomas Grady Jr., Correctional Officer/K-9 Unit
K-9 Anna (honorary Gold Star)
Salinas Valley State Prison, Soledad
Correctional Officer Thomas Grady Jr. was off duty Jan. 20, 2025, driving southbound on State Route 25 in San Benito County. In the vehicle with him was Anna, a Salinas Valley State Prison Facility Support K-9. A car driving northbound suddenly lost control, veering off the highway into a ditch. The vehicle rolled multiple times until it collided with a power pole. The vehicle, severely damaged and emitting smoke and flames from the underside, landed on its side and came to a stop.
Grady immediately stopped his car to render aid and called 911. The vehicle’s occupants, two teenage girls, were conscious but trapped inside. Grady quickly assessed the situation and extricated the driver and passenger through the open sunroof as the vehicle became further engulfed in smoke and flames.
Grady and the two girls relocated a safe distance away. The girls sat in the rear hatch of his vehicle with K-9 Anna, who provided comfort and emotional support while Grady notified their parents and stood by for first responders.
The parents of the teenage girls thanked Grady and K-9 Anna for rescuing their daughters and providing comfort during a traumatic experience.
For his life-saving response and compassion, Thomas Grady Jr. is awarded the Gold Star. His K-9 partner Anna is awarded an honorary Gold Star.
James Kern, RSP Teacher/Education
Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, San Diego
James Kern and his wife were on vacation in Cozumel, Mexico, swimming in shallow water when they heard a woman yell “help.” The woman was with a man about 150 feet from them and they appeared to be horseplaying, so Kern and his wife continued swimming.
As the woman yelled for help again, she raised the man’s head above water and a big burst of white foam gushed out of his mouth. Kern realized the man was drowning in 20-plus feet deep water and immediately began swimming toward them while his wife went for help.
Kern, a certified deep-water trained lifeguard and open water scuba diver, began towing him in using the back stroke, with the man on his back. As he reached shallow water, others joined in and helped carry the man to the beach.
The man had no pulse and wasn’t breathing. Other guests at the resort, a nurse and EMT, joined in and began CPR while Kern monitored for vitals until an ambulance arrived.
For his quick thinking, skill and commitment to protecting life, James Kern is awarded the Gold Star.
Enrique Medel-Vazquez, Correctional Officer, Gold Star
Jocelin Chavez, Correctional Officer, Bronze Star
Mayra Lopez-Zamorano, Correctional Officer, Bronze Star
Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran
Correctional Officer Enrique Medel-Vazquez was driving home from work Feb. 1, 2025, when he witnessed a head-on collision on Highway 43 near Delano. He was first on the scene. Correctional Officers Jocelin Chavez and Mayra Lopez-Zamorano each arrived soon after.
With both cars on fire, Medel-Vazquez immediately called emergency medical services and extricated one of the drivers, moving him to a safe location. The driver was later identified as a fellow SATF correctional officer. Medel-Vazquez then tried to remove the other driver from his car, but the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. He did not survive.
Lopez-Zamorano provided medical aid, identifying injuries and keeping the officer conscious through dialogue. Chavez also provided aid and assistance until emergency services arrived. All three officers were able to provide crucial information to medical and law enforcement personnel.
For his quick action, bravery and willingness to intervene while off duty to protect a fellow officer, Medel-Vazquez is awarded the Gold Star.
For demonstrating calm coordination and professionalism, Chavez and Lopez-Zamorano are awarded the Bronze Star.
Vincent Vidaurri, Correctional Officer
Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran
Correctional Officer Vincent Vidaurri was driving home from work April 24, 2025, when he witnessed a devastating car accident involving three vehicles in Tulare.
The accident occurred when a truck driver drove through a stop sign.
Vidaurri immediately responded, pulling over and instructing another witness to call 911. He then approached the scene of the accident and heard screaming from one of the vehicles. He attempted to rescue an individual trapped inside the burning car, but the vehicle exploded multiple times, preventing him from reaching the person.
Vidaurri then heard screaming coming from a second vehicle stuck in a canal, and saw a person trapped inside. Vidaurri immediately jumped into the water and successfully removed the driver from the vehicle. Emergency services then transported the injured persons to a hospital.
For his selflessness, bravery and decisive action, Correctional Officer Vincent Vidaurri is awarded the Gold Star.
Read more stories of bravery on Inside CDCR’s Above the Call series.
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