'It's Just The Right Thing To Do': 3 Modesto Teens Save Family In Burning Home
MODESTO (CBS13) - One-by-one three teenagers led a family out of a burning home. Those teen boys are now being hailed heroes on social media.
When Jesus Madrigal, better known as Chuy to his buddies, saw smoke at a neighbor's house he ran to make sure everyone was alright.
"We started banging and throwing rocks at the door to try to get them to wake up," Madrigal said.
When that wasn't enough, Madrigal kicked down the door and started rushing people out. He and his friends counted at least seven or eight people who'd been sleeping when their house caught fire.
"I saw little kids, so I took them to the front, I gave them to someone and then I turned to go back," said Juan Martinez, one of the three rescuers.
Madrigal's sister caught all the chaos on camera. At one point, the video shows the boys carrying children out of the home.
Pedro Tejeda, one of the rescuers, said that he wasn't really afraid to go into the burning building.
"Once I seen Chuy come out, I was like, I might as well just go in there with him, so if anything happens to him I can get him out," Tejeda said.
Lilia Prado, Chuy's mother, said she was proud of the boys and their instinct to help others despite danger.
"It's just the right thing to do, you know," Madrigal said. "Basically put it in your shoes, if your house was burning would you want someone to help you or not? I would appreciate it if someone came to help me if my house was burning down."
Since some of the children were taken out of the burning home without clothes, the boys gave them the shirts off their backs.