Local hero is awarded (Edmonton, Alberta Canada)

John Mellec modestly shrugs off suggestions that he’s a hero for thwarting a possible child abduction last April in downtown Edmonton.

The 48-year-old Edmontonian says he’s just glad he had the opportunity to keep two young children safe and help police identify a potential predator.

“I just felt it was my duty to help these kids out and ID this guy,” Mellec said.

His heroics, however, earned him an award at the 12th annual Citizens Awards ceremony Sunday afternoon at City Hall.

On that fateful day last spring, Mellec was leaving his father’s apartment following a visit, when he came across two kids lying face-down on the floor in the building’s entranceway.

One girl, about 11, and her slightly older brother were hiding from a man in a black Jeep who had demanded they get into his vehicle, Mellec recalled.

“They asked me to look outside and see if there was a black Jeep,” he said, adding that after there was no sign of the SUV he offered to walk the children to their nearby home.

“All of a sudden, the Jeep came around the corner and the girl screamed. She was petrified.”

Mellec jumped into his truck and eventually caught up to the Jeep – which had been circling the block – at a red light.

Seeing that the SUV had duct tape covering its licence plate, Mellec got out of his vehicle and ripped the duct tape off just as the light turned green and the suspect took off.

Mellec was able to record the licence plate and passed it along to police, while the children made it home safely.

He’s not sure if cops ever made an arrest in the case, but at the very least, he said the would-be predator is on the EPS radar.

Mellec was one of 23 Edmontonians to receive an award and a hearty thank-you from the Edmonton Police Commission.

Also earning kudos was Brent Sheldon, a banker by day and bouncer by night who nabbed a meth addict trying to steal mail from his Edmonton apartment building last May 1.

Sheldon said he chased after the would-be identity thief and caught up to him at the stop of the stairs, before delivering a single knockout punch.

“I frying-panned him on the top of the head and knocked him out and called the EPS,” recalled Sheldon, who also doesn’t consider himself a hero. “I just felt like it was in my house and I didn’t think it was right.”

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2006/05/07/1568864.html