LAKE STEVENS — Monica Mason thought there was something strange about the two men walking around her quiet Tulalip neighborhood on Aug. 23.
Along with her boyfriend, Chilo Plumlee, Mason was getting ready for work. She also was keeping an eye on the men outside. When she saw what appeared to be a firearm concealed under one man’s clothing, she knew it was time to call 911.
Plumlee trained their home surveillance camera on the men and their vehicles.
Their quick-thinking provided investigators with solid evidence they needed to solve a home-invasion robbery that had taken place next door. It also earned them a Certificate of Merit at the Snohomish County Sheriff’s annual awards banquet Friday night.
The couple, along with several civilians and roughly 30 sheriff’s deputies and employees, were honored at the banquet at Cavelero Mid High School in Lake Stevens.
The night also celebrated the sheriff’s office and the county’s 150th anniversary, sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.
Some of the sheriff’s awards went to those who saved lives or prevented tragedies. Other employees were honored for their hard work and leadership in various departments.
Everett Mountain Rescue volunteers were there because of a dangerous rescue they performed in early August. They had worked with search-and-rescue teams to pluck a man off Baring Mountain who was hanging there by his parachute. His chute snagged on a cliff after he attempted to jump from near the summit.
For each award, people hurried up to the stage to snap photos as their friends and family posed with their awards alongside Sheriff John Lovick.
The Deputy of the Year award went to Rebecca Lewis, who works as the school resource officer at Lynnwood High School.
In a time when budget cuts have sent many school resource officers back into squad cars, Lewis has become a respected mentor and role model for teens, sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.
Lewis has gone out of her way to start new programs and find new ways to engage the students, Hover said.
“The results have been nothing short of staggering,” Hover said.
Terry Haldeman’s crime-fighting efforts earned him another top spot.
In just nine months, the detective personally recovered more than $320,000 worth of stolen vehicles, Hover said. That performance earned him Detective of the Year.
Prosecutors have joked that if they were car thieves, Haldeman’s work would convince them to switch to another vein of crime, she said.
Rikki King: rking@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3449 .
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