The newest of the team is Alejandro Barrios, 16, who plays a support role for the other three. Jacob Chavez, 17, the jokester of the group, who kept the situation light between scenarios, and drew attention to himself and away from mistakes during scenarios the team knew were their weak points. He’s well-respected and serious when necessary, but makes an effort to include others in his decision-making. She and her team simulated arrests, shooting situations, sobriety tests and even hostage negotiation, where she tried to talk a woman out of killing her husband.Įveryone on the team has a specific role.Įric Molina, 18, is captain of the explorers post and leader of his team. “Now you can’t get her to shut up,” Bao joked.įor this year’s explorers competition, Ortiz landed a place on Team 1, the most experienced of the three Costa Mesa explorer teams. That lasted for about a year, until Bao and other advisers all but forced her into a rank position. “When she first came in, she was quiet as a mouse,” said explorer adviser Kha Bao, a Costa Mesa police officer. She joined right away, and made her sister join with her. It was the first Ortiz had heard of the program for teenagers interested in law enforcement. Then, four years ago, a middle school security officer familiar with the family’s story told Ortiz and her older sister, Fatima Arriaza, about the police explorers. That helped drive her passion to become one of the good guys. Those were the shows where the good guys solved crimes and put the bad guys behind bars. The family still does not know why her parents were killed, and it’s unlikely they’ll ever find out, she said.Īs she got older, Ortiz started watching detective shows – “Criminal Minds” and “Without a Trace” became favorites. Ortiz and her three siblings moved back to Costa Mesa, where Ortiz was born, to live with their grandmother.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |