The Teens Who Rescued Children from Hijackers

When two Tucson, AZ teens – Roy Madril Jr. and Chris Martinez – stopped at a local gas station to fuel up, they heard a woman nearby screaming, “He has my kids! He’s stealing my car!”

The woman pleading for help was a 27-year-old mother of two young children, ages two and six. The mother – known only as “Inna” – and her mother were chatting outside of the vehicle while the toddlers remained in the car. Seemingly out of nowhere, a man pushed the women aside, hopped in the car and sped off.

Madril and Martinez took matters into their own hands and pursued the carjacker themselves. As Martinez drove, Madril called 911 and gave a blow-by-blow account to the police.

When the getaway car briefly stopped, the 6-year-old tumbled out. After arriving on the scene, police told the boys to stay back in case of gunfire and soon apprehended 34 year old Tom Vallancourt. The carjacker ended up serving a 6 1/2-year sentence for kidnapping and auto theft.

The mayor of Tucson and the Red Cross honored Madril and Martinez with a “Real Hero Award” while Inna gave the boys her eternal gratitude.