Detective honored for 'alert' response

By Suzanne Smalley, Globe Staff  |  December 8, 2005

Detective Eliezer Gonzalez of the Boston police knew he didn't have much time to find an ill, missing 19-day-old infant, the subject of the city's first Amber Alert.

Leading the search in August 2004, he was sifting through tips, including one that the baby was in a cemetery. ''When that tip came in, we were very concerned that this would be the last time that we would see this child," Gonzalez recalled. ''. . . It was a very scary and nerve-wracking process."

After about 10 hours, Gonzalez found Michael Rauda at a Malden restaurant, grabbed him from the alleged abductor's arms, and reunited the baby with his frantic mother. The National Association of Police Organizations recently picked Gonzalez to receive Massachusetts' Top Cops award. And yesterday, the City Council honored Gonzalez with a resolution designating ''Detective Eliezer Gonzalez Commemoration Day."

Councilor at Large Felix D. Arroyo said that it was an easy decision to honor Gonzalez, because his rescue of Michael makes him a credit to law enforcement officials everywhere. ''I'm happy to be able to recognize him," Arroyo said.

Gonzalez, 44, a 17-year veteran of the department, beamed as he received the honor in front of his family and Iliana Rauda and her now 16-month-old son. Several friends from the Marine Corps, in which Gonzalez served for six years before becoming a police officer, cheered in the audience during his speech.

The toddler cried in Gonzalez's arms as flash bulbs blinked. Iliana Rauda spoke through a translator about the terror she felt after, according to police, his father snatched him while she was on the way to court to get a restraining order against him. She said she felt ''like the world was coming to an end."

Jose A. Granados, who pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and other charges in connection with the incident, has not had his trial, Gonzalez said. The case was the state's third Amber Alert for missing children, which triggers an intensive search, including notifications on radio, television, and electronic highway signs.
Gonzalez said he considers himself a godfather of sorts to Michael.

''Santa's coming for that child," Gonzalez said.


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