Temar Boggs, the 15-year-old Pennsylvania teen whose quick thinking helped save a 5-year-old girl

Here’s a powerful snapshot of Temar Boggs, the 15-year-old Pennsylvania teen whose quick thinking helped save a 5-year-old girl in 2013.

The Heroic Rescue

• In July 2013 in Lancaster Township, Pennsylvania, 15-year-old Temar Boggs and his friend, 13-year-old Chris Garcia, saw a suspicious maroon car weaving through neighborhood streets during a search for Jocelyn Rojas, a 5-year-old who had been kidnapped.
• Trusting his instincts, Temar chased the vehicle on his bicycle for about 15 minutes. During the pursuit, the driver, probably startled, stopped and released Jocelyn, and she ran into Temar’s arms saying, “I need to see my mommy.”
• The teens safely brought her back to police, reuniting her with her family—promptly earning local admiration. “He’s our hero. … A guardian angel,” Jocelyn’s grandmother said.

Recognition & Commendation

• In 2014, Temar and Chris were awarded the Hope Award by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. At the ceremony, when asked about being seen as heroes, Temar humbly replied, “I just feel normal… I did it out of the kindness of my heart.”

Reflections & Later Events

• Temar’s brave act has been widely shared online, moving many: “Two teens rescue a 5-y/o girl who had been abducted. … He is a god damn hero.”
  “Somebody better give him an award. He damn sure deserves it!”
• Sadly, a few years later, Temar encountered legal trouble. In 2016, he pleaded guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to 40 months to 10 years in prison. Fans and community members on Reddit expressed mixed emotions: admiration for his earlier act and concern over how life’s challenges may have led him astray.

At a Glance

Temar Boggs’s brave moment had immediate impact—saving a life—and became an enduring symbol of youthful courage. His later struggles underscore the complexities of young heroes growing into adulthood