James "Jim" Turturillo
Officer Was Already A Hero
- While St. John Police Officer James Turturillo became a hero to thousands of frightened south Lake County residents last week, he was already a Very Important Person to one young fan, his 11-year-old daughter Anna.
- Just a week earlier, Anna, a sixth grader at Jane Ball Elementary School in Cedar Lake, had learned that her Father's Day essay about her dad had won second-place in an Advil 'Dad of the Millennium' Contest, winning him four tickets to all four days of the upcoming Western Open Golf Tournament in suburban Chicago, Illinois.
- "He loves to golf. He isn't the greatest golfer, but he tries. I think he would be better if he played more, but he can't," wrote Anna, referring to her father's busy schedule as a dedicated police officer, youth coach and new Hanover Community School Board member (he takes office July 1).
- "My dad is a policeman and works 12 hour shifts. He also does Security at the hospital (St. Anthony Medical Center) by us. His time off he coaches my basketball and softball teams. He never makes time for himself.
- PLEASE PICK MY DAD. I love him and he needs a break and won't just take one," Anna closed.
- Her plea reached the ears of contest judges, who picked her essay as a winner.
- "We found the ad (for the contest) in the Sunday coupon section of the newspaper, and Anna sat down and wrote this and counted her words and mailed it off," said mother Marcia Turturillo.
- Ironically, the first-place contest winner was at Wrigley Field last Friday, throwing out the first ball for the Cubs game. "I guess Jim was meant to be the 'Second Dad of the Millennium' and stay in St. John (Friday) and capture a fugitive," added Marcia.
- With all his notoriety, Officer Turturillo may be as popular as Tiger Woods at the July 6-9 Western Open, which he plans to attend at least once with Anna and a friend of hers along with the friend's father.
- "He likes golf, but he just doesn't have time," admitted Marcia Turturillo, who works in real estate. "We were thrilled about the contest, and after last week, it's overwhelming."
- Turturillo was interviewed by almost every Chicago television station after he caught one of two prison escapees in St. John last Friday morning, and the family had little rest last weekend. They did watch 'Dad' in a 30-second appearance on "America's Most Wanted," a national TV show.
- "I told Jim that was his 30 seconds of fame," said Marcia.
- "I'm not a hero, I was just doing the job I'm paid to do," said an unassuming Jim Turturillo of the capture, which took place uneventfully after one of two suspects surrendered and the other ran away, only to be captured two hours later.
- "I was just in the right place at the right time, and I got lucky." added Turturillo. "My training took over, and I just did what I had been taught to do."
- That happy ending is just what Anna Turturillo needed for her story.
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