David Moulton was delivering mail on his route in Salem, Massachusetts, when he found a 3-year old boy wandering untended and prevented him from walking into oncoming traffic on Dec. 8.
According to WCVB5, Moulton stated, “I was just in the right place at the right time.”
“I did what I hope any other decent person would do — go and help the little kid,” he added.
He noted that at first, he thought the child was playing at a nearby playground, but when he realized the little boy had no shoes and no adults to watch him, he went to pick the boy up and call police. The child had been outside for about 30 minutes.
“He was shaking. He was shivering. He was cold and, again, I’m a stranger. He doesn’t know me. Why did this guy just grab me?” Moulton went on.
When the police arrived they were contacted by staff members of Salem Community Childcare.
The child, Damien, had opened the door to the daycare center around 10:43 a.m. and wandered off outside with only socks on his feet.
He was taken to North Shore Medical Center while his parents were contacted to come get him.
According to Boston 25 News, Damien’s mother, Martha Esquivel stated, “The police, a doctor, and a pastor were waiting there. I felt like I was going to pass out.”
“When we went into the room, I saw a lot of people there, and I just started crying. I found my son and he started crying… screaming mommy, mommy,” she said.
After video surveillance of the daycare center that day, the Esquivels witnessed the staff had left their son unattended for more than 30 minutes as he attempted to open the door over a dozen times.
“They had multiple opportunities to stop it, and for some reason, they just weren’t paying attention and wasn’t doing their job,” Esquivel said.
The child care center has yet to explain the situation or apologize, but Esquivel is focused on the man who saved her son.
She said, “I’m so thankful that he was such a nice person to pay attention and call the police.”
“He pretty much saved my son’s life,” she added.
The Department of Children and Families and the Department of Early Education and Care are looking into the case and the Salem police continue to investigate.
