'Please Don't Drop My Baby': Summit Police Rescue Mother, Toddler From Burning Building

NEWARK, NJ - A mother and her child were saved from a burning home by two Summit Police officers patrolling in Newark on an unrelated case.

Following up on information from plate readers, Detective Sergeant Ruddy Garita and Detective Darin Sliker were searching for a stolen BMW along 19th Street at around 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29. The city confirmed to Patch that they were looking for the car that was taken out of a driveway in Summit the day before.

While they were there, they noticed smoke leaving a nearby building. After speaking with a man outside, they were aware that others might be trapped.

A woman and a child began screaming out of a window on the back of the house, causing Det. Sgt. Garita to grab a ladder and scale the building. He was able to rescue the toddler out of the smoke-filled window as the woman could be heard repeatedly calling out, "Please don't drop my baby."

Newark Police joined the Summit officers in forcing entry through the front door, and continuing to search the home. Breaching a locked door, they yelled into the blackened-out area before confirming everyone else had escaped.

“The actions of Det. Sgt. Garita and Det. Sliker were nothing short of heroic," said Summit Police Chief Ryan Peters. "Their courage, swift decision-making, and unwavering dedication to preserving life under extreme pressure reflect the highest standards of law enforcement.

Without regard for their personal safety, they relied on their training, instincts, and commitment to duty to perform life-saving measures in a rapidly deteriorating and dangerous environment.”

Det. Sliker is also the winner of a lifesaving award from the Summit Police Department after performing CPR while he was off-duty on a man who was hit by a car in another city. The man was hit in July and has since been transferred out of the hospital and is on track to make a full recovery.