N.J. Cops Were Looking for a Stolen Car When They Rescued a Toddler from a Burning Home
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NEED TO KNOW
- New Jersey police officers, Detective Sgt. Ruddy Garita and Detective Darin Sliker were searching for a stolen BMW in Newark, N.J., on Friday, Aug. 29
- During their search, they came across a house fire that had heavy smoke coming out from its second floor
- The officers saw a woman and toddler inside, and Det. Garita was able to pull the child to safety
A toddler was saved from a burning house in Newark, N.J., when two police detectives were searching for a stolen car on Friday, Aug. 29, the Summit Police Department said in a news release.
Detective Sgt. Ruddy Garita and Detective Darin Sliker were searching for a BMW that had been reported stolen. When they arrived near South 19th Street, they saw heavy smoke coming out from the second floor of a home. A man then ran from the home and told the detectives he believed people were still inside.
“From the rear window, a woman and child were screaming for help,” the SPD said in its release Wednesday, Sept. 3.
“I saw – looked up and saw a female holding her infant child out the window,” Garita told ABC 7. “The last thing we thought that was going to happen was us pulling up to a fire,” he told the outlet.
Garita took a contractor’s ladder from nearby to reach the window and safely pull the toddler out. Sliker and Newark police officers “forced entry through the front door, pushing through dense smoke as they searched the second floor,” according to police.
“They breached a locked door and shouted through the darkness to ensure no one was trapped, ultimately confirming that all occupants had escaped before retreating,” the SPD continued.
“One of the reasons we get into this job is we have to overcome and adapt to situations and be ready for anything is at hand with us,” Sliker told ABC 7. “Our job is to help and save people so whatever the situation is we have to figure out a resolution,”
Garita added, “The oath we take isn’t bound by the boundaries of where we work for. So we were lucky to be in the right situation and help out as much as we could.”
“The actions of Det. Sgt. Garita and Det. Sliker were nothing short of heroic,” Summit Police Chief Ryan Peters said in a statement.
“Without regard for their personal safety, they relied on their training, instincts, and commitment to duty to perform life-saving measures in a rapidly deteriorating and dangerous environment,” he continued.
As of Wednesday, Sept. 3, the missing BMW has still not been found.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
