KINGSVILLE, Tx — Afterschool pick up means long lines of cars and parents focused on getting their kids back home. But on Tuesday at Harvey Elementary in Kingsville ISD, parents focus turned into concern as they quickly turned their gaze to a dangerous sight.
“During dismissal I was directing traffic at this intersection in front of the school when all of a sudden some parents that were waiting in their car started getting my attention,” KISD Lead of Security and Safety Officer Albert Munoz said.
Parents called for Munoz’s attention and pointed towards a two-year-old boy walking down the sidewalk unattended heading straight for the street.
“I rushed over and grabbed him before he entered the roadway,” Munoz said.
Munoz said the parent of the unattended child had parked by the Brookshire pool and left the child in the car with just a phone while she went to pick up her other child from the school. Munoz is unsure how long the child was left unattended.
Munoz checked to make sure the child was okay before heading towards the school where he spotted the parent.
“The parent was pretty upset that he had exited the vehicle and I just made sure that after that nothing was going happen to the kid when I released him back to her,” Munoz said.
At the time, the child was released back to the guardian. Munoz said the situation was dangerous, but it could have been worse if it weren’t for the parents who caught his attention.
“I’m just glad I was there at that time because after school traffic here is pretty busy and we have a three point intersection and cars aren’t always going the speed limit in a school zone,” Munoz said.
Not all heroes wear capes, and on that day that saying held true.
It is illegal to leave a child under the age of five in a vehicle for more than five minutes in the state of Texas. If anybody or any parent sees a child left unattended, contact law enforcement or if it takes place at a school there is always an option to call for school officials to intervene.
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