Only On 9: Good Samaritan Credited With Saving WWII Veteran's Life After Keeping Him Out Of Burning Home
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A World War II veteran is safe tonight after a Good Samaritan kept the man from going back into his burning Boyle Heights home.
A structure fire erupted just before noon on Sunday on the 2500 block of Cincinnati Street.
Dispatchers warned the responding firefighters that an elderly male resident was possibly trapped inside.
Minutes before the firefighters from LA Central arrived, a Good Samaritan named "Andres" took matters into his own hands.
Andres was driving on Cincinnati Street when he saw smoke coming out of the house and noticed an elderly man on the front porch attempting to go back inside the burning building.
Andres stopped his car, jumped the fence, and sprinted to the gentleman's assistance.
The two then waited outside before LAFD arrived. No one was injured.
Thirty-two firefighters extinguished the flames in 18 minutes, Erik Scott, spokesman for LAFD, said.
KCAL9's Erica Nochlin on Sunday got a tour of the home from Raymond Lopez - though most of his 60 years of memories there are mostly covered in soot.
It's a story that is Only On 9.
"This is my dad," he says, showing Nochlin a picture of his father, 98-year-old WWII vet Roy Lopez.
He says his dad is only alive because of Andres' quick-thinking and selfless act.
A neighbor called the Good Samaritan, "a superhero."
"He jumped over the fence like one boost and jump, he literally cleared it like this far from the gate. I was like 'Wow.' It was amazing, all this while his girlfriend is calling the fire department. It was like a tag team. Just amazing to see," said neighbor and witness William Rodas.
The neighbor captured the couple on video. Both were too shy to talk on camera later but their quick actions said it all.
"I feel like me being Hispanic, and all the stereotypes, these things need to be known, we do help and we in Boyle Heights, we do care for each other. What better example than this, right?," said Rodas.
Roy's son said his dad is now resting and he was "glad somebody was there."
He will deal with losing the home. He wasn't ready to lose his father.
"I'll remember this for a long time," he said.
The fire was possibly caused by a candle.
