UPDATE: The hero Socorro police officer who rescued
an 8-year-old boy from a mobile home engulfed in flames was identified
by his department on Tuesday as Officer Joshua Gonzales.
In an interview with ABC-7 on Tuesday, Gonzales recounted in his own words how events unfolded on Monday night. (You can watch the interview in the video player at the top of this article.)
Officer Gonzales continued...
The Socorro community is rallying behind this family who lost everything in the blaze and has started a GoFundMe account to help them get back on their feet.
ORIGINAL REPORT: SOCORRO, Texas -- A Socorro police officer rescued a child from a mobile home that had gone up in flames Monday night, pulling the kid to safety through a window.
It happened just after 7 p.m. in the 450 block of Gohman Street near Homan.
The rescue was witnessed by ABC-7 viewer Chris Marin, who also recorded video if the inferno. (You can watch in the video player at the top of this article.)
The child did not require medical attention after being saved by the officer, whose identity was not immediately available. An elderly woman who was also in the burning mobile home managed to escape; she was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
The raging flames quickly spread, damaging two cars and a neighboring home before about 30 firefighters from Socorro, along with assistance from Horizon, Tribal and Clint, could get it put out.
The mobile home was a complete loss, according to fire officials. They also indicated the cause was not immediately known and would be under investigation.
The Red Cross was helping the displaced residents.
In an interview with ABC-7 on Tuesday, Gonzales recounted in his own words how events unfolded on Monday night. (You can watch the interview in the video player at the top of this article.)
“My mind was running a thousand miles per hour. I observed people standing in front of the residence by the street. As I parked my patrol unit I could feel the heat coming from the residence. Once I made myself present to the people standing by I asked them what was going on and they said somebody was inside the residence, that there were people in there. I immediately without a doubt, it was well within my heart and soul to run in and get these people out.”
“When I arrived to the door it was really hot, and once I made entry I did find that there was two adults inside and a child. The child was 8 years of age and the elderly person was 75. At that point I did advise him, ‘let’s go out’. The house was already full of smoke, I could barely breath and I even advised them, ‘cover your mouths’, to try to get out as soon as possible safely. From that point, I grabbed the child and I held him tight in my arms and I ran out with him and got him to the street where there was a couple of neighbors and sat him down and advised them (neighbors) to take care of him.”The boy was so sad about his football cleats being lost in the fire that Officer Gonzales said he would buy him new ones.
ORIGINAL REPORT: SOCORRO, Texas -- A Socorro police officer rescued a child from a mobile home that had gone up in flames Monday night, pulling the kid to safety through a window.
It happened just after 7 p.m. in the 450 block of Gohman Street near Homan.
The rescue was witnessed by ABC-7 viewer Chris Marin, who also recorded video if the inferno. (You can watch in the video player at the top of this article.)
The child did not require medical attention after being saved by the officer, whose identity was not immediately available. An elderly woman who was also in the burning mobile home managed to escape; she was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
The raging flames quickly spread, damaging two cars and a neighboring home before about 30 firefighters from Socorro, along with assistance from Horizon, Tribal and Clint, could get it put out.
The mobile home was a complete loss, according to fire officials. They also indicated the cause was not immediately known and would be under investigation.
The Red Cross was helping the displaced residents.
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