The Associated Press
Miami, Fla. -- A police officer rescued two children from a fire Wednesday by climbing onto their second-floor balcony and breaking into their burning apartment.
Officer Abraham Fernandez, 26, of Miami-Dade County police rescued the 1-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl, who had been left alone by their mother. The officer and children were treated for smoke inhalation, but they all were safe, he said.
The mother arrived home later and was being interviewed by child exploitation investigators, police said. She has not been charged. The family was not identified.
Fernandez said he and other officers tried to get into the apartment after the fire began around 1:30 a.m., but its door was locked.
The officers then got a neighbor to let them in his apartment and Fernandez went out on the balcony. He climbed along the railing to the burning apartment’s balcony.
He said he used his expandable baton to break the sliding glass doors.
“When I shattered the glass, I heard crying,” he said.
Fernandez said he immediately saw the boy nearby in his playpen, so he went in, grabbed the child and passed him to the neighbor. Fernandez still heard crying from inside the apartment, but he couldn’t find the other child.
“It was so dark and black that I couldn’t see anything,” he said.
So he felt around the apartment until he found the girl, he said. He rushed her outside so she could join the boy in getting treatment. No one else was hurt and the fire was put out.
Fernandez said hours later, he was still excited “like a jackrabbit” but thankful the children were safe “I’m also a parent. I have a 1-year-old,” he said.