Emergency Communications Officer credited with saving missing Idaho teen

The following is a news release from Idaho State Police.

MERIDIAN — When a young girl was reported missing on Thursday, April 16, in southern Idaho, an Idaho State Police Regional Communications Supervisor’s (RCS) attention to detail and quick action made the difference.

When the notification came into the ISP Emergency Communications Center, it was originally received as an attempt-to-locate for a missing juvenile, a possible runaway from southern Idaho. But instead of just forwarding the information to ISP Troopers and other law enforcement officers, RCS DeLisa Orren dug a little deeper into the information, and what she found helped law enforcement officials issue an Amber Alert and recover the teen.

“The goal of the Idaho State Police is changing and saving lives, and this is an outstanding example of ISP saving lives,” said Colonel Kedrick Wills. “The action DeLisa took that night made the difference between this girl being returned to her family and being abducted by people who could have caused her harm.”

Although the information included in the attempt to locate suggested the juvenile had possibly run away, RCS Orren began looking further into the people possibly associated with the missing juvenile. When she found information that linked the suspects to previous assaults and human trafficking, she worked quickly to contact the Rupert police detectives and connect them with the Idaho Amber Alert System.

Thanks to RCS Orren’s efforts, in less than 24 hours after the juvenile was reported missing, she was located by California Highway Patrol troopers near Donner Pass, California. The two men suspected of abducting the girl were arrested and charged with kidnapping. Additional charges for human trafficking are pending further investigation. Three other juveniles, who were with their non-custodial mother and shortly due back in Idaho with the custodial parent, were also located with the Idaho teen.

“Working in a small agency, an extra set of eyes from an experienced agency always helps, and in this case helped recover the missing juvenile,” said Rupert Police Detective Kuoha. “Time is critical for recovery in a child abduction, and it may have been too late if not for the work of Ms. Orren”.

“The action taken by DeLisa is not uncharacteristic for her or any of the people who work in ISP’s two emergency communications centers. These people are genuinely dedicated to serving the citizens of Idaho and take the role they play very personally. Because of their work, this young girl was returned safely to her family,” said ISP Captain Kevin Haight.

RCS Orren has served with the Idaho State Police for over 15 years and is currently a supervisor at ISP’s emergency communications center in Meridian.