The awards are presented to citizens in the community who have significantly assisted police agencies and the District Attorney's Office in successfully prosecuting criminals. The award is intended to show the DA's appreciation to those who became involved in a particular situation and provided their cooperation, support and statement or testimony, which is invaluable to the pursuit of justice.

"These awards are for citizens who have given assistance to victims of crime or to law enforcement," said Fenocchio. "It’s our way of honoring publicly their willingness to get involved."

The situations that lead to this year's awards include:

• Assisting law enforcement in capturing a sexual predator who was attempting to lure a minor into sexual contact. The perpetrator was convicted and sentenced to prison.
• Assisting the victim of a carjacking and then chasing the perpetrator and later identifying him to law enforcement, which led to his conviction and a prison sentence.
• Offering testimony in court in the trial of a man accused of domestic violence. This woman had suffered repeated abuse at the hands of the defendant at an earlier time and her testimony helped convict him.
• Offering testimony in court refuting a defense argument of a woman who drove drunk and was involved in an automobile accident that injured a father and his child in another automobile.
• Assisting a Placer County Sheriff's deputy who was struggling with a juvenile who was under the influence of illegal drugs. The minor was subdued and arrested for trespassing, possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence of an illegal drug.
• Stopping and rendering assistance to a victim of domestic violence and later testifying in court to help convict the perpetrator.
• Rendering assistance to a stabbing victim, who ultimately died from his injuries, and later offering testimony at court that helped convict a man of murder.

  The individuals who were honored this year with the District Attorney's Citizens Recognition Awards are:

• Sean Galliher
• Jesse Niewolak
• Frederic David
• Shannon Slish
• Chuck DeLuci
• Evelyn Alverado
• Gregory Burch
• Veronica Kehoe
• Mike Kehoe
• Richard Rutherford
• Jeanine Rutherford
• David Keller
• Cole Beller