Officers, good Samaritans honored for lifting car off infant in Yonkers

The father of an 8-month-old infant run over by a driver in Yonkers thanked the people who saved her life.

News 12 Staff

Aug 4, 2021, 7:40 PM

Updated 1,162 days ago

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The father of an 8-month-old infant run over by a driver in Yonkers thanked the people who saved her life.
Local and state officials gathered at Yonkers City Hall to honor the two police officers and three good Samaritans who lifted a car off 8-month-old Leslie.
Surveillance video shows a car running into Leslie and her mother, forcing them through the front of a barbershop. It happened on July 23 on Lake Avenue in Yonkers.
Jorge Palacio, Leslie’s father, says was next door at the time of the incident and rushed over to find his wife pinned by the car. He said he feared his baby was dead.
Leslie suffered a fractured skull and burns, but survived after bystanders and police worked to lift the car.
The father was emotional at the event as he thanked the men he called "angels."
Michael LaRusso was inside the barber shop and was nearly hit by the car. He, along with two other bystanders and two policemen who were next door grabbing breakfast, all worked together.
"We are just happy the mom and the little girl are doing OK,” he says.
The child left the hospital Monday after undergoing skin graft surgery. Her mother is still hospitalized with a broken femur.