Investigator, agent honored for work in Fernley abduction

A Lyon County investigator and a Reno federal agent are being recognized by the National Center for Missing and Exploited children for their part in the recovery of a Fernley girl allegedly abducted to Mexico last summer by her mother's roommate.

Lyon County Sheriff's Lt. John Arndell and FBI Special Agent John A. Ginocchio were flown to Washington, D.C., to be presented an award at the center's 11th annual Congressional Breakfast on Wednesday.

The two will also attend a Department of Justice ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 25.

Arndell is an 18-year veteran of the Lyon County Sheriff's Department.

On July 22, 2005, Fernando Aguerro allegedly abducted the Fernley 8-year-old while her mother was at work.

A week later she was found in a homeless shelter in Ensanada, Mexico, after people there recognized her from flyers.

The girl was returned to her mother and Aguerro was allegedly sentenced by Mexican authorities to 37 years in prison on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault. Lyon County Deputy District Attorney Stephen Rye said charges of kidnapping and sexual assault have been filed against Aguerro in Lyon County as well.

The Fernley case is one of six cases nationwide to receive this honor from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Fraternal Order of Police and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Some other recipients of this year's National Missing Children's Award and the National Exploited Children's Awards are:

• Special Agent James T. Minor, of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security in Bangkok, Thailand, for the recovery of Zachary Jay, a 6-year-old boy who was abducted from San Antonio, Texas by his noncustodial mother and stepfather, and taken to Chiang-Mai, Thailand.

• Sgt. Michael Hall, of the Lake Worth Police Department in Lake Worth, Fla., for the recovery of Lachele Nance, an 8-year-old girl who was abducted and found hours later alive in a nearby landfill.

• Detective Kevin Wiens, of California's Fresno County Sheriff's Department, and Special Agent Mike Prado, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, both of Fresno, for an investigation that led to the dismantling of a network of child pornography distributors and the arrests of two child predators.

• Sgt. Chris Hunt, of the Indiana State Police, and Special Agent J. Tom Rothrock, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, both in Indianapolis, will be honored for their part in the arrest of an alleged sexual predator for possession of child pornography and the sexual abuse of at least four children.

• Pennsylvania State Police Trooper David E. Olweiler, Special Agent Christopher D. Kegerreis of the Internal Revenue Service, both in Harrisburg, Penn., FBI Special Agent Mike Beave, in Oklahoma City, and FBI Intelligence Analyst Jamie L. Konstas, in Washington, D.C., will be honored on behalf of their respective agencies'' efforts and cooperation in successfully carrying out the "Precious Cargo" investigation which led to the dissolution of a nationwide child sex trafficking enterprise and the rescue of nine child victims of prostitution.