Ivins couple hailed as heroes

IVINS, Washington County -- Saturday mornings for Mike Butcher and his wife, Chasity Angell, are normally spent on thrilling jobs like taking out the trash, vacuuming the house and cleaning up the yard.

On the last Saturday of 2005, however, the Ivins couple did something that local law enforcement officials said protected two children.

"These two people are our heroes," said Ivins Police Sgt. Jim Hatzidakis at a news conference Saturday at city hall following the arrest of the children's mother, Tessa Marie Morton. "These two heroes got behind the suspect's vehicle, called it in and took the proper precautions. This proves the Amber Alert works."

Butcher and Angell said the safety of their own two children is always at the top of their minds, and that prompted the couple to pay attention to the statewide Amber Alert broadcast Friday.

"I was outside and looked up for a split second and saw the car, a lady with dark hair driving it, and two kids in the back," said Butcher, who ran back into the house to ask his wife if she remembered the license plate of the car sought by police.

Incredibly, Angell had already memorized the license plate number by using a mental trick she learned from a Department of Motor Vehicles employee. The tah license plate of 719 VMN became "July19, Very Macho Name" in Angell's mental file, and the couple began driving around to try and find the car.

"We used to own a Ford Focus like that, so I recognized the car. We drove around for a while looking for her and almost ran out of gas," said Butcher. "Then we saw her go down a side street, and my wife said, 'That's the car!' So we called 911. The driver seemed like she was lost or that maybe she was trying to find a way to get on Old Highway 91 to Nevada."

Dispatch operator Heather Hatch kept the couple on the phone as they relayed directions, while calling Hatzidakis, Chief of Police Wade Campbell and officer Jay Randall to respond to the scene.

"It was so scary to think that this was happening in front of us," said Angell. "It was shocking for us, something that we wouldn't expect."

At the same time, Angell said she always pays attention when an Amber Alert is issued.

"I pay attention because I love my children," she said. "I would hope that somebody would do the same thing for us if we needed help."

That attitude drew praise from Ivins Mayor Daren Barney.

"This is great news and a great story," the mayor said. "This is a successful result from the Amber Alert program. No one was injured, and the children will be able to be returned to those who love them. We are really proud of Mike and Chasity and hope more people will follow their lead by paying attention when Amber Alerts are issued. You just never know where they will lead, do you?"

E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com

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