State Reps. Teresa Martinez and Chris Lopez, Republicans of Maricopa’s Legislative District 16, today publicly recognized two Pinal County Sheriff’s Office deputies on the Arizona House floor for their role in rescuing an 8-year-old boy from a human trafficking operation earlier this year.

Deputies Gregory Sanders and Jacob Montoya were honored through a legislative proclamation read before members of the Arizona House of Representatives. The recognition stemmed from their actions during a multi-agency traffic stop in January that led to the recovery of the child and the arrest of a woman who later admitted she had been paid to transport him.

“These deputies trusted their training, asked the right questions and refused to ignore what didn’t add up,” Martinez said during the proclamation. “Because of their professionalism and courage, a child was removed from danger and protected.”

According to law enforcement, the boy was unable to identify the woman transporting him and appeared coached during questioning. Deputies separated the child from the suspect, confirmed he was unharmed and began efforts to reunite him with his family.

The woman was taken into federal custody. The investigation remains ongoing.

Following the presentation, Martinez praised PCSO for its role in identifying trafficking activity and intervening to protect vulnerable children, saying Arizona would continue to support law enforcement efforts aimed at stopping human trafficking.

Sanders was unable to attend due to a family issue. The Arizona State Senate also recognized the honor today, Martinez told InMaricopa.