By Adriana M. Chavez
El Paso Times
EL PASO, Texas — Despite the accolades and media attention, El Paso County sheriff’s Deputy Juan Muñoz maintains he was just doing his job when he saved a 2-year-old boy from a burning car earlier this month.
Muñoz, who received the Sheriff’s Office Lifesaving Medal Award during a promotions ceremony Wednesday at the Sheriff’s Office headquarters, 3850 Justice, said he did what any other deputy would do in the same situation.
At 2 p.m. Oct. 1, Muñoz was off-duty and driving home when he spotted a blue Ford Taurus on fire in the westbound lanes of Montana near Yarbrough. He also noticed a woman, Brenda Caudillo de Garay, frantically trying to get her 2-year-old son, Cristian Garay, out of the car’s back seat. Muñoz helped pulled the boy from the car and moved de Garay and her son out of the way. Muñoz then took a fire extinguisher from his patrol car and put out the flames.
“I didn’t do anything extraordinary,” Muñoz said after receiving the award from Sheriff Jimmy Apodaca. “If it was possible, they should give every one of us this award. I would expect anyone to do the same for my family if they were in the same situation.”
Wednesday was also the first time de Garay and Cristian got to thank Muñoz personally since the incident.
“Everything happened so fast, I didn’t get to see him well,” de Garay said in Spanish. “I’m happy I got to meet him and see him again.”
De Garay said Cristian still remains frightened from the incident, but was smiling and laughing when he
received a gift from Muñoz -- two Superman and Batman-themed toy cars in a Spider-Man gift bag. He also shook the hands of Muñoz and Muñoz’s 2-year-old son, Emilio, who was at the ceremony with Muñoz’s wife, Aracely.
“There’s no doubt in my mind he’s very worthy of this award,” Apodaca said
Copyright 2008 El Paso Times