The Citrus County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday night cited deputies for their dedication to public safety, and for service to the department.

The annual banquet's ceremonies were held at the Citrus Springs Community Center.

Special community awards were presented to Citrus County residents who helped both their community and the Sheriff's Office.

Jim Copeland and Mark Rogers were recognized for their support of the CCSO "Shop With A Cop" program. The two men have each donated more than 150 turkey dinners over four years for underprivileged children and their families.

CCSO Sheriff Jeff Dawsy also noted, "Mark Rogers and his Kiwanis members showed up each year with a freezer trailer, and stood out in the cold to give the dinners out."

Newspaper carrier Brian Van Dyke was recognized for calling 911 to report something he thought was suspicious. He saw a truck parked by a closed business, and a ladder propped up against a wall of the business.

When deputies arrived, they found two burglary suspects who were still on the business' roof. Deputies later found that the men, while on the roof, had also called in a bomb threat to WalMart.

Special recognition awards

Ten special recognition awards were given to CCSO deputies for supporting the community and law enforcement efforts during 2010.

Erik Malz received a certificate of commendation for his work as in the 911 call call center when he helped an Inverness woman as she gave birth on the lawn in front of her home.

Malz, on the job for only six months at the time, walked the woman and her husband through the birth process in the 30-degree weather. Within 3-and one-half minutes of the woman's call, she gave birth to a healthy 6-pound, 5-ounce baby girl. The couple and baby were taken to a nearby hospital, where the baby was pronounced as in good shape.

Refurbished school bus

Sgt. Chris Evan and Detective Ed Serocki, members of the Sheriff's Office Hostage Negotiation Team, were awarded certificates of commendation for their work in refurbishing a school bus donated by the Citrus County School District into a full-service vehicle for the department, and was put into service in 2010.

Suspects found hiding

Deputy Jon Ritli and K-9 partner Ajax were honored with a certificate of commendation for work done on Feb.13, 2010 during a security check at a Homosassa storage facility.

The deputy noticed a chain link gate was open, and after calling for backup, sent Ajax in to search for any suspects that might be in the area. Deputy and K-9 found three suspects hiding in motorhomes inside of the storage facility.

Thinking Outside of the Box

"Thinking Outside of the Box" awards were presented to Cpl. Dave Vincent, Deputy Craig Fass and Deputy Chris Ball. The three School Resource Officers developed a program that could be used in the school curriculum for high school students that suggests six challenges facing youths today: drugs, alcohol, cyber-safety, tobacco, crime and consequences and gangs.

The program came to be called "CHOICES."

Operation Eclipse

Honors were also given to four deputies for their actions in a drug-sting operation dubbed "Operation Eclipse" in January of 2010. The multi-agency effort involved local, state and federal agencies targeting transport of illegal drugs to Citrus and surrounding counties.

Drug traffickers crossed county and state lines, which made the undercover operation even more challenging. Hundreds of hours were expended monitoring phone calls and conducting surveillance. In the end, law enforcement officers arrested 37 people in four counties. The offenders were estimated to have trafficked more than 180 kilograms of cocaine, and more than 7,700 pounds of marijuana per year, with a total street value of $12 million.

Honored for their efforts in the operation were CCSO deputies Sgt. Justin Ferrara, Cpl. John Novy, Deputy Jose Carreras and Deputy Allison McLaughlin-Perry.

7-week-old infant saved

In another Ribbon of Recommendation award, it was noted that a 7-week-old infant is alive today, thanks to the Sept. 24, 2010 efforts of Deputy Matt Baird. He was on patrol in Inverness when he notice a vehicle in the school board's parking lot, with activity going on around the vehicle. Baird discovered an infant who was not breathing, a frantic grandmother and a Good Samaritan attempting to revive the baby.

Deputy Baird immediately called for an ambulance and, after he determined there was no pulse, began providing chest compressions to the infant until the baby began breathing and regained a pulse. When paramedics arrived, the baby was taken to All Children's Hospital.

Dogged pursuit

Also awarded a Ribbon of Commendation was Detective Kat Liotta, who pursued a suspect across the years.

Asked by the CCSO Major Crimes unit in May 2010 to assist with an infant death investigation, Detective Liotta's research showed the suspect had been previously arrested and had confessed to sexually abusing his daughter in 2000. The suspect was not charged because of a technicality. Working with the State Attorney's Office, she found the now 20-year-old daughter living in Maine.

She told the the woman she was reopening the case, and the woman agreed to work with Detective Liotta. The first step in the plan was for the daughter to make contact with her father though Internet networking sites, which she did. In the next step, the daughter was flown to Florida, and her phone calls to her father were recorded.

After several days and nights of controlled phone calls, the man eventually admitted to his alleged sexual acts from 10 years before, and he was arrested.

Saving a suicidal woman from the river

In a Ribbon of Commendation award, Deputy Thomas Peruche was honored for rescuing a suicidal woman from the Homosassa River on Nov. 1, 2010.

When he arrived on scene, Deputy Peruche found the car almost completely submerged, except for a few inches of space at the vehicle's roofline. He jumped into the water, broke the car window and pulled the woman from the vehicle, even though she struggled against his efforts to save her.

Despite the struggle, she was brought ashore safely.

Operation Grim Reaper

Detective Dodi Pruitt was honored with a Ribbon of Commendation for assembling a CCSO team to spearhead local involvement in an undercover operation labeled "Operation Grim Reaper."

The operation's goal from Oct. 11 to Oct. 17, 2010 was to stop a trend in which adults use the Internet in an attempt to lure children into having sex. The operation involved 31 sworn and non-sworn people from the CCSO and five other law enforcement agencies.

The personnel posed as 12- to 14-year-old children. When the operation was complete, 22 suspects were arrested after they traveled to Citrus County with the thought they were going to have sex with a child. They were arrested as they knocked at the door of the undercover home.

"This operation was a huge succes in our county," Sheriff Dawsy said, "and one of the most successful operations of its kind in the state of Florida."

Elderly woman saved from flames

Receiving the Medal of Distinction were Deputy Chad Doyle, Deputy Troy Taylor and county resident Gregory Avery.

On July 26, 2010, Deputies Doyle and Taylor were sent to a house fire in which the home was fully engulfed in flames. Inside was a trapped elderly woman in a bedroom who was calling out for help and attempting to escape through a window. Nearly overcome by smoke, and trapped against a piece of bedroom furniture, the weakened woman could not get out.

The deputies reached in through the window and moved the piece of furniture, but still the woman was too weak to escape, and was still stuck on something else in the bedroom.

Neighbor Avery appeared, and got under the woman and pushed up while the two deputies pulled, and with the combined efforts of the trio, the woman was pulled to safety. Just after the woman was rescued, her bedroom erupted into flames.

There were also an number of employees honored at the banquet who had reached employment milestones.

Service Awards

• FIVE YEARS: Christopher Ball; Michael Barry; Jose Carreras; Steve Farkas; Todd Farnham; Adam Ferguson; Robert Forlini; Doris Germinaro; Todd Holloway; James Hughes; Lorraine Kirkpatrick; Bobby Lambert; Jessica Lane; Rita Lepinskie; Allison McLaughlin-Perry; Casey Phillips; David Pinner; Heather Silver; Bradley Smith
• 10 YEARS: Charles Beetow; Jody Bloomer; Misty Clendenney; Stephen Conley; Christopher Cornell; Ryan Glaze; David Gater; Robert Greatrex, Troy Hess; Russ Howard; John Laurin; Johnathan Payne; Marcial Rodriguez; Charles Schanel; Steve Smith
• 15 YEARS: Thomas Beagan; Rodney Bloomer; Dave Cannaday; Lon Cronshaw; Michael Kanter; Debra Moore; Timothy O'Mellian; Claudette Stahl; Michele Stens
• 20 YEARS: Susan Ayers; Karen Cairns; Dennis Devoe; Mickey Dixon; Ronald Frink; Portia Guinn; Macy Henman; Michael Hudgens; Kathleen Lockhart; Kevin Purinton; Kevin Reese; Katherine Settles; Jannette Spencer; Gail Tierney; Sharon Walker; Carl Whitton; David Wyllie; Donna Young
• 25 YEARS: Joseph Eckstein and Don Lestinsky

Donating to the event, and serving the evening meal, were members of the Citizens Academy Alumni Association. Food was provided by Ferrara's Deli.