Harlingen officer recognized for saving baby's life after being found unresponsive at daycare
An arrest report from the Harlingen Police Department revealed that an employee at a daycare where an infant was found unresponsive, placed their hands over the baby's mouth, "impeding the baby's natural breathing."
Belinda Perez was arrested in connection to the case and currently remains jailed at Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center on a $750,000 bond.
The Harlingen police officer who gave the baby girl CPR was recognized at a city council meeting.
The baby girl he helped save was also there alongside her mom. The officer received the city's first ever Hometown Heroes Award. He joined the department nearly one year ago.
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The incident occurred on June 27 at a daycare located at the 1500 block of Dixieland Road. Harlingen police officers responded to assist Emergency Medical Services for an unresponsive 15-month-old child.
The arrest report states an employee was holding an unresponsive child. An officer took the child from the employee and began administering first aid.
The officer said he noticed the child had "agonal breathing" along with blue lips, hands, feet and nose, according to the report.
The report says EMS took over first aid and the daycare owner allowed Harlingen police to review security camera footage.
Officers then saw an employee pick the child up from the crib with their hands over the infant's mouth and then walk out of frame. The worker then came back into the frame and placed the child back into the crib, according to the arrest report.