CHP officer in El Centro recognized at IACP Conference in Denver
Dillon Fuhrman
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The California Highway Patrol (CHP) says Officer Salvador Acevedo Jr. was recognized at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference in Denver last year.
CHP says Officer Acevedo was a finalist for the IACP-Axon Police Officer of the Year Award during the conference, which took place on October 20, 2025.
Acevedo was recognized for his role in apprehending a suspect wanted in connection to the kidnapping of a child back in 2009 while investigating a traffic crash, which happened two years ago, CHP says.
In September of 2009, a man and woman from El Centro were in a custody battle, in which the man received full custody of their child, but CHP says the woman kidnapped the child and fled the country after the decision was made.
Back in January of 2024, Acevedo was investigating a crash “when he recognized one of the driver’s names and date of birth as a possible match to the mother/accused kidnapper of 2009,” CHP says
This led Acevedo to discover that the mother still had an active arrest warrant for the kidnapping, and he had the mother come to the CHP office in El Centro to discuss the crash.
During that time, CHP says Acevedo confirmed her identity and interviewed her, which led to the mother confessing to the kidnapping, and says her daughter, who was 24 at that time, was alive and well.
Soon after, the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against the mother, and CHP says she was convicted of kidnapping her daughter 15 years prior.
“Officer Acevedo’s commitment to his profession embodies the essence of law enforcement excellence and the California Highway Patrol’s mission to provide the highest level of Safety, Service and Security,” CHP says.
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