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Bus Driver Who Helped Foil Child Abduction In Milpitas: 'I Did What Any Parent Would Do'

MILPITAS (KCBS) – A Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority bus driver, hailed as a hero for putting a stop to an alleged child abduction in Milpitas last week, remains humble despite all the praise he has received.

Tim Watson was driving his normal Route 180, from the Great Mall in Milpitas to the Fremont Bay Area Rapid Transit station on June 5 when he first saw the 3-year-old boy, as he and a man were waiting for the bus.

"He actually approaches my bus with the child in his arms and asks what time I leave and I told him 11:13," Watson tells KCBS. "So I basically go on a quick break, come back and notice them sit down underneath our little gazebo and I can see the boy is crying, like he has an upset stomach or is sick."

But it wasn't until Watson got an alert with a description of an abductor and his victim taken from the Milpitas Public Library that he paid closer attention. Watson said an idea popped into his head, an excuse to get a closer look at the two. He stopped the bus.

"I started walking toward the back, asking if anyone had seen a green backpack," Watson said. It was at that point he noticed the man matched the description of the suspected abductor, and the clothing of the boy did too, as he was wearing red Crocs and plaid shorts.

"I told [dispatch] I appear to have the little boy on the bus. I'm at Mission Boulevard northbound to Fremont BART," he said.

Dispatch notified Fremont Police, who took the man down as he got off the bus, and they got the toddler back to his parents. "I don't look at myself anything other than my instincts kicked in. Yes we do have training through VTA. I just took a human trafficking training in April so that kind of freshened my memory to really be more sensitive."

The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Alfonso David Edington, was taken into custody.

Watson said when he learned it was a stranger abduction, he got pretty emotional, as his kids are now 17 and 21 year old young men. VTA spokesperson Brandi Childress said many are grateful for his quick thinking and actions that day.

"The city of Milpitas will honor him at their next city council meeting on June 16. And then on Friday, June 19, the Santa Clara County Sheriff is going to fly him in by helicopter and have him throw out the first pitch at the San Jose Giants game," Childress said.

The Valley Transportation Authority is also planning an event to not only honor Watson, but the other agencies involved in reuniting the 3-year-old with his family.

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