Deputy Rescues Elderly Woman From Her Burning Home

HOUSTON — A Harris County Sheriff’s deputy is being called a hero after he helped save an elderly woman from her burning home Monday night. Deputy Roberto Martinez was the first to arrive on the scene of a trailer home fire in the 6500 block of Zaragosa Street.

Martinez, a 10-year law enforcement veteran, was patrolling on Houston’s east side, when he saw the fire call pop up on his computer. He was less than a mile away, when he started toward the scene.

“He happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said during a press conference.

When Martinez arrived, he saw people in the street who flagged him down, and he could hear screams from inside the home.

As flames consumed the front of the house, Martinez ran to the back of the home to try and save the woman.

The footage from Martinez’s body worn camera shows Martinez frantically calling out to the woman as he breaks out the window with his flashlight.

**Warning: Language**

#HCSO Deputy Martinez saved a woman from a burning trailer home on Monday night. Watch live press conference at 2 p.m. to hear from Deputy Martinez and @SheriffEd_HCSO. Warning: video is unedited and includes salty language. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/ECxowTDYJE
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) March 5, 2019

“I just wanted to figure out how many [people] were in there and get them out,” Martinez said. “That was my main concern. I wasn’t worried about anything else.”

As he busted out the glass, he could feel a large chest of drawers against the window. He pushed the chest, but it would barely move. He kept pushing and managed to move it enough for the woman to squeeze out the window.

Martinez snatched the woman from the burning home, and sprinted to the front yard, where he collapsed, wheezing and coughing from the smoke.

Gonzalez said they would later learn how quickly the fire spread, and how Martinez’s actions saved that woman’s life.

Gonzalez said the woman is expected to make a full recovery.

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