‘My father instincts kicked in’: Deputy saves boy in Orosi house fire

OROSI, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A deputy from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office is being hailed as a hero after rescuing a little boy in a house fire.

Deputies responded to a house fire in Orosi on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

When they arrived, they were told a 12-year-old boy, Angel, who has Down syndrome, was trapped inside.

Before deputies arrived, Alejandro Fajardo, Angel’s older brother, broke a window to save his brother, injuring his wrist and leg.

“I broke the window. I tried to go in through the window. I was too glass, and I couldn’t enter that way. So, I went in several times to the front door trying to get in, I was crawling, I was trying to just reach him, and I was yelling his name,” Fajardo said.

Once deputies arrived, Fajardo told Deputy Alfredo Flores his brother was stuck inside the home.

Deputy Flores immediately ran inside the home to rescue the young boy.

“I would like someone to do the same thing for my kids if I’m not there. Right? So that was my instinct. My father instincts kicked in, so I didn’t think anything of it,” Deputy Flores said.

Flores went into the house three times, gasping for air, but never gave up.

“He had a wet towel, black wet towel, I remember he just gave it to me, and I grabbed it, and I remember pulling it out on my face, just to protect me from some of the smoke that I was inhaling. I ran back in there,” Deputy Flores said.

He recalls the moment he found Angel.

“I opened that door when I heard the kid screaming and I saw him there, with snot coming out and there was black tar coming out his face. I immediately grabbed him and picked him up. And as I was gasping for air, I’m like, ‘Thank God, I found him at this time’ because I was running out of oxygen,” Deputy Flores said.

Sheriff Mike Boudreaux says he is proud of Deputy Flores- commending him for his bravery.

“It was an act of heroism. Look danger in the face and just went in to try and save his life. And quite frankly, I’m incredibly proud of him. He went in, save this young boy’s life when he was placing his own life in jeopardy, quite frankly,” Sheriff Boudreaux said.

Fajardo says he is thankful to Deputy Flores for saving his brother’s life.

“I couldn’t ask for anything better than him to risk his life for my little brother,” Fajardo said.

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