KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. — A Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office deputy who rescued a 4-year-old boy over the weekend spoke to KING 5 about his experience.
On Sunday, authorities put out an Amber Alert for the child. They feared his biological mother, who isn’t the legal guardian, was going to hurt him.
Deputy Joshua Buonvino said the alert came across his phone while he was off-duty and at home. He recognized the woman’s name, Shannon, because of interactions he and his colleagues have had with her over the years; he said she’d called 911 several times claiming her child was in danger, which was never the case.
“She is someone who suffers from severe mental health issues. We at the sheriff’s office have done as much as we can to get her the help she needs, but as law enforcement, we can only do so much,” Buonvino said.
KING 5 only used the mother’s first name because she must undergo a competency evaluation due to mental health concerns. She’s been charged with second-degree kidnapping, residential burglary and violation of a court order.
Shannon is accused of abducting the boy while he was asleep at his grandparents’ home, who have custody of him. According to the sheriff’s office, she had told others she wanted to harm herself and the boy.
About two weeks before the Amber Alert went out, Buonvino talked to Shannon in a rural area of Kitsap County. He said she was sitting in her car and appeared to be acting like her normal self.
When the Amber Alert was sent out, Buonvino said he had a gut feeling she might go back to that area. He searched for Shannon with no luck. Then, she happened to drive by him, and he knew he had to pull her over. She sped away, but he was able to catch up to her.
"Strangely enough, she came to a stop at the DNR gate I saw her at two weeks ago. I think that might have been her ending location, where she wanted to go,” Buonvino said.
Shannon tried to drive off when Deputy Buonvino approached her window, but he managed to get her out of the car before she could flee. Once Shannon was cuffed and in the back of his car, he went back to the car to get the boy.
“The child was in nothing but a towel. The first thing he did was open up his arms and say ‘I want my daddy.’ I picked him up and gave him a hug,” Buonvino said. “I gave him water as we waited on the fire department.”
While Buonvino doesn’t have kids, he has several nieces and nephews who mean a lot to him. He knows how he would feel if this happened to any of them, which is why he felt compelled to go look for the missing child.
“I have a soft spot for kids,” he said. “We have to protect them.”