SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake City cupcake shop owner was given an award Monday morning for her part in safely resolving an Amber Alert situation earlier this year.
Leslie Fiet, the owner of Mini’s Cupcakes, received the Rachael Runyan Award for rescuing 3-year-old Bella Martinez from a stolen vehicle that was parked outside Fiet’s business on February 15.
According to South Salt Lake police, Bella Martinez was left in a car seat inside a car parked at a 7-Eleven store at 287 W 3300 S. Bella’s father went inside the 7-Eleven and came back out to find the vehicle and Bella were missing.
Fiet received an Amber Alert on her phone and noticed that a car parked outside Mini’s Cupcakes matched the description from the alert. Fiet found Bella, brought her inside the cupcake store and locked the door behind her.
Fiet said she gave Bella a Care Bear and read her a book to calm her down as they waited for her parents.
Charges were later filed against 24-year-old Rosealee Marie Key in connection with the incident.
The award was presented to Fiet by Elaine Runyan in remembrance of her 3-year-old daughter, Rachael Runywan, who disappeared from a park in Sunset, Utah on August 26, 1982. Rachael’s body was found 24 days later, but the murder was never solved.
“I think any time something like this happens and it has a good outcome, you know, everybody kind of stops and thinks ‘You know, I could make a difference. It could be me. I could be the person that sees, you know, the next missing missing child.’ Because, unfortunately, there will be a next missing child,” Fiet said Monday.
Bella and her mother were present for the award ceremony, but declined FOX 13’s request for comments.
There have been 38 Amber Alerts activated in Utah since the program began in 2002. The first one was sent for Elizabeth Smart. The Amber Alert for Bella Martinez was the first one to use the Wireless Emergency Alert, which works in conjunction with technology installed on almost all wireless phones manufactured and sold in America since April of 2012.
