COTTAGE GROVE - A small audience at Cottage Grove City Hall applauded Wednesday evening as Christina Kelley stood front and center in council chambers, preparing to receive a Citizen Commendation Award for her actions during an Amber Alert on June 7.
"You were able to calm it," police chief Pete Koerner told Kelley in front of the crowd as cameras rolled. "Hats off to you. That's just amazing."
On that morning two months ago, Kelley stopped on her way to work at the 8700 block of Hadley Ave., where a frantic mother came bursting out of a van screaming about the kidnapping of her two kids. Kelley, after seeing the van speed off, helped the bloodied and frantic mom into her own vehicle and called 911 immediately.
It gave police a crucial head start to pursue the suspect. Within a matter of hours, they managed to rescue her one-year-old and three-year-old — and then arrested their father, Jeffrey Lo, who is accused of attacking the mother in the van.
"I feel like I was meant to be there, to help her and save her," Kelley said, "and get those kids back."
As Kelley accepted the Citizen Commendation Award, a special visitor in the audience watched the ceremony from a distance, behind a set of glass windows just outside the doors of the council chambers.
It was the mother herself, accompanied by her kids. She did not wish to be identified by KARE 11, but she felt it was important to show her appreciation for Christina Kelley.
"She changed my life that day," the mother told KARE 11 in an audio recording off-camera. "I could have died that day."
She said that five cars passed by as she screamed for help — until Kelley finally stopped.
"I don't think I would change anything I did that day," Kelley said. "I would still stop, no matter what situation it was that day. I would still help, because that's just who I am."