TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — Into the fire, a Tulare County Deputy ran into a burning home to rescue a 12-year-old child with Down Syndrome trapped inside. The California deputy is being hailed a hero by the Sheriff and family with the dramatic rescue caught on camera.
Deputy Alfredo Flores was supposed to be getting off his shift he had just responded to a domestic violence call and was headed to file his paperwork when the fire call came in. He said he immediately started driving toward the home where he would save a little boy’s life.
Body camera video captures a distraught Alejandro Fajardo guiding a deputy into his burning home where his younger brother was trapped by smoke.
“About six, seven times I couldn’t get him, I couldn’t reach him,” said Alejandro. “The smoke was really up and I tried crawling to him, just yelling his name.”
12-year-old Angel, who has Down syndrome and is non-verbal, had barricaded himself in the bathroom.
Alejandro had tried to go into the house himself, even punching through a window and slicing his arm.
When Deputy Alfredo Flores arrived, Alejandro begged him to save his little brother.
Flores, an 8-year veteran of the department and a father, didn’t hesitate before running into the burning mobile home.
“I don’t think even I don’t think I lasted a minute in there to be honest, due to the smoke and all the smoke I was inhaling,” said Flores. “I was running out of oxygen, so I immediately run back outside and tried to get more oxygen and I immediately run back inside.”
It would take 3 tries and someone handing him a wet cloth to shield his face before he could break through the smoke and get to Angel.
“Before I opened that door I hear I hear a yell, someone yelling so in my back of my head,” said Flores. “I’m like, that’s the kid I’m like, keep screaming like in my head. I’m like, Keep screaming so I just immediately run towards that voice, and I open that door. And sure enough, I see the kid standing there with lot of snot coming out of his nose, and like black tar coming out of his mouth and nose.”
You can’t see the rescue in the video, but you can hear Flores gasping for air as he rushes through the home and an emotional Alejandro shouting as Flores carries the child out of the home.
Alejandro said he would be lost without the brother he’s spent his life protecting, he gives thanks to Flores and God.
“I’m just glad he sent angels to Angel to guide him out and that’s all I could ask for,” said Alejandro.
Flores is being hailed a hero by both the family and his boss – Sheriff Mike Boudreaux
“This was very heroic as I talked to him, and I said, Look, son, I’m very proud of you,” said Boudreaux. “This was an act of heroism, and he said, Sir, he says, it’s just my job, and he really meant it. He’s just a humble guy, and just incredibly proud of him.”
But Flores has his own hero, named Angel.
“I walked in there about 2 times. I don’t even think I made it 1 min without going back and getting oxygen,” said Flores. “I don’t know how long he was inside that room, but for me he’s my hero.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Everyone is out of the hospital and back home and Flores returned to work doing the job he says he’s called to do.
