Published: March 14, 2005
Mother of Slain Child to Appear in Documentary "Eyes of America"
Vicki and Junny Rios-Martinez of Cocoa Beach Will Appear in Memory of Her Son Junny Rios-Martinez, a 1991 Child Abduction Victim
Vicki and Junny Rios-Martinez of Cocoa Beach
will never forget that horrible day when they learned their son, Junny, an
11-year old victim of child abduction, was found murdered. They want every
parent to know how to be on guard to protect children, especially when the
abductor is known to them. That was the case that fateful day when Mark
Dean Schwab, a then 22-year-old convicted child molester out of jail on an
early release, befriended the family, then abducted Junny and later killed
him. Junny loved to surf and Schwab posed as a reporter for a surfing
magazine, convincing the family that he had only Junny's best interest at
heart. That confidence proved to be fatal when Junny turned up missing and
days later was found sexually molested and murdered. Schwab was later
arrested and convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping and rape.
"Eyes of America" is dedicated to missing and abducted children everywhere.
In partnership with Child Watch of North America, KidSational, Inc. www.kidsationalinc.com)"> and Starpower Productions, plans are
underway to produce a DVD movie that anyone will be able to download at no
cost. This DVD will also be donated to schools. Vicki Rios-Martinez and her
husband Junny have agreed to be part of the movie that is designed to
heighten awareness of this grave national problem among parents and
children. "Eyes of America" is part of an organization that is asking the
millions of truckers across the country to be the eyes and ears of missing
and abducted children. This effort will be launched officially in April
when the first of many concerts will be held in Orlando.
As part of the program, trucking companies are being asked to post a
picture of a missing child on the sides of their vehicles. Some missing
children have already been saved because of the watchful eyes of truckers
and those traveling the nation's highways. Norman Schneider, a creator of
the World's Largest Truck Convoy, is joining the group as a consultant.
Steve Ruff, President of KidSational, comments, "The 'Eyes of America'
program is a direct response to the alarming frequency of child abductions
across the nation. KidSational, as well and other participating
organizations, wants to send a loud and clear message of awareness and
zero-tolerance when it comes to these heinous crimes.
"Child Watch was formed to be proactive in reducing the number of
abductions. We are proud to say that the numbers have been decreasing, and
we attribute this statistic to the programs teaching parents and children
how to recognize and avoid these situations. However, there is still a lot
more work that needs to be done. We are happy to report that we have some
new tools in our efforts to protect children through our association with
KidSational, Inc. and Starpower Productions, LLC. The KidSational Guardian
Safety Game is an excellent way for parents to sit down with their children
and teach them in an interactive way. The DVD will be another excellent
tool for parents, and we look forward to its release," stated Don Wood,
founder of Child Watch of North America. Wilson Knott, CEO of Starpower
Productions, added, "We are very excited about this partnership and knowing
the Guardian Safety Game www.safetygame.com)"> and the DVD are a very
important part of the Watching Eyes of America."
Future plans include a convoy of trucks to travel from Orlando to New York
City to spread the word. It will be the one of the many events planned
across the country to heighten awareness among the public and help in
spotting missing and abducted children nationwide. Truckers are being asked
to post a large picture of a missing child on the sides of the vehicles.
Many missing children have already been saved because of the watchful eyes
of truckers and those traveling the nation's highways. The DVD movie will
be available for release on National Missing Children's Day, May 25, 2005.
As of May 25th the DVD will be available through www.childwatch.org. This
site will be posting updates on upcoming events. A reward fund is being set
up at a bank to be used for truckers who find a missing child. Trucking
companies wishing to participate in any of these events please e-mail
kidztour@aol.com.
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