Army Sgt. Lindsey Ruiz, left, and Alejandra Binet, right, receive letters of recognition from the Sagamihara Police Department near Camp Zama, Japan, Jan. 29, 2026. (U.S. Army)
SAGAMIHARA, Japan — A U.S. soldier and an Army spouse recently teamed up to rescue a pajama-clad preschooler from a busy street near the headquarters of U.S. Army Japan.
Sgt. Lindsey Ruiz of the 765th Transportation Terminal Battalion and Alejandra Binet, the wife of a soldier from that unit, received letters of appreciation from the Sagamihara Police Department during a ceremony at the station Thursday, according to a post on U.S. Army Garrison Japan’s Facebook page.
On Jan. 12, the women were headed to the Sagami General Depot, about 5 miles from Camp Zama, headquarters of U.S. Army Japan, when they saw a little boy of about 3 years old walking alone on a busy street in the Chuo ward of Sagamihara city.
The boy was dressed in pajamas and had ventured dangerously close to traffic.
Ruiz immediately stopped the car. Both women stepped out to signal passing vehicles to stop and immediately moved the boy to a safer area, according to the post.
They took him to a nearby gas station for help with the language barrier. The staff there notified police, and both women stayed with the boy until they arrived, according to the post.
The boy’s parents had filed a missing person’s report with the police, who were actively searching for him, but Ruiz and Benit were the heroes that day, the Army said.
“We appreciate them immediately responding [to the situation],” a city police spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday. “The boy was returned to his family on the same day.”
Some Japanese government officials must speak to the media on condition of anonymity. Ruiz and Binet, through a garrison spokesperson, declined a Stars and Stripes request for interviews Friday.
The garrison posted photographs of the women receiving commendations from the police chief.
“We commend you, Sgt. Ruiz and Alejandra, for your quick and decisive actions that helped ensure the safety of a young member of our neighboring community,” the post said.
