Man recognized as hero for catching falling toddler

ARLINGTON, Virginia: It took a second or two for Jaimen Ortiz to fully comprehend what he was seeing: two toddlers playing in an open second-floor window, and one of them hanging from the window sill.

So Ortiz hopped a fence and ran to the apartment building. Just as he got there, the 2-year-old girl fell, screaming. Ortiz put out his arms and caught her cleanly, perhaps saving her life and certainly preventing serious injury.

"If I had delayed one more second, she would have fallen to the ground," Ortiz said through a Spanish interpreter, recalling the Oct. 13 incident.

Ortiz's quick thinking was honored Tuesday in Arlington, where the County Board presented him a certificate of recognition for his heroism.

Arlington Police Chief Doug Scott said it was unusual for a citizen to react so quickly to an out-of-the-ordinary situation.

Ortiz, 29, seemed slightly overwhelmed by the attention he received Tuesday as he fielded multiple interview requests.

"I have a 5-year-old child, and you never know. Maybe someday he might need help like I was able to give to this girl," he said.

While he was unaccustomed to the recognition, it was not the first time he has been a hero. As a teenager growing up in Guatemala, he helped save the wife of a friend from drowning.

photo courtesy AP & story iht.com, 12/12/06