When Giovanni (Govi) Eastwood was rescued from the attic of the Kansas home where his mother had abandoned him, police officers were shocked to see the 6-year-old boy weighing just 15 pounds.
Govi, who has Down’s syndrome, was later adopted by his great-aunt and last Saturday was reunited with the police officer who rescued him that day in 2010.
Gobi, now 13 and healthy, was made an honorary deputy with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in a ceremony Saturday and was given the same police badge number as the officer who pulled the boy from the attic where he was hiding, Sergeant John Klingel.
Officers with the Johnson County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office said Govi was the true hero of the incident. Photo: Provided
“This was the first time I’d seen him since that night six years ago. He’s a great kid. He’s had a hard life but he’s worked his way through it,” Klingel told InsideEdition.com.
Govi’s biological mother, Rachel Perez, is currently serving an eight-year sentence for attempted murder over her treatment of her child.
The day officers found Govi, they had gone to the house to check on him after his grandfather had called police.
Police officers searching Govi were astonished to see a starving six-year-old boy who looked like a three-year-old. Photo: Provided
Govi is now a teenager and appears to have grown into a robust young man. Photo: Provided
Police discovered Perez had an outstanding arrest warrant and arrested her, but she never said anything about the boy she had locked in the attic.
“She made up some kind of story about where Govi was,” Klingel said, “and then they all ended up leaving, but Govi was still there.”
Govi was surprised to be reunited with officers from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Photo: Provided
Klingel said officers eventually had justification to enter the home because they had a hunch the girl, who was 7 at the time, would still be home alone.
Klingel was lifted into the house through a window and called out to Govi but did not know where he was.
Then he realized he was hearing Govi’s voice from above.
“I looked up and I was standing right over the access panel to the attic. I was able to open the panel and pull him through the hole and lower him down,” Klingel said.
“He looked like a kid from a concentration camp. He was just skin and bones. They said he was seven years old but his size made him look like he was about three.”
Klingel said he believes Perez may have placed it there to hide the boy.
“Govi didn’t panic when we took him out. He just started playing. He didn’t have the strength to stand up on his own. He didn’t seem at all surprised by the situation,” Klingel said.
His great-aunt Stacey Eastwood, who legally adopted Gobi and his two siblings in 2012, said it’s been a long journey but Gobi’s life is clearly better now.
Gobi was made an honorary lieutenant by officers who were thrilled to see how much he had grown in the years since his rescue. Photo: Provided
“He had a very bright personality, but he was a damaged child. If you touched him or hugged him, he would say, ‘That hurts,'” Eastwood told InsideEdition.com. “It was sad.”
Govi gradually recovered and began to feel safe with his family.
“That kid is magical. He brings out the better in everyone he comes into contact with,” Eastwood said.
Gobi’s biological mother, Rachel Perez, was jailed on attempted murder charges over her treatment of Gobi.
Govi Eastwood has been officially adopted by his aunt Stacey Eastwood. Photo: Provided
The moment Govi and Klingel met was a surreal moment for both of them.
“It was amazing. I don’t really tell him what I’m planning because he doesn’t really understand, but I explained it to him on the car ride there,” Eastwood said.
“I told him the officers wanted to meet with him and he said, ‘Yes,'” she said.
Govi’s aunt Stacey said he was a great boy who brought out the best in everyone. Photo: Provided
Govi shook hands with the officers and thanked Klingel for saving his life that day.
But Klingel said they weren’t really heroes.
“That boy is a hero. Seeing the size of his heart and the smile on his face … I’m so happy to have met him,” Klingel said.
“Being a police officer doesn’t always have a happy ending, so it was nice for us to be a small part of his journey.”
And Govi was similarly moved: Later that night, when Eastwood went to check on him in his room after the event, he found him asleep in bed, holding the shield.