A Jersey City police officer made a miraculous rescue Saturday afternoon, catching a 1-month-old baby after a man threw the child from a second-story balcony, authorities said.
Officer Eduardo Matute kept the child from injury after tense negotiations between police and an unidentified man broke down, according to a statement from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop later shared a photo showing Matute cradling the infant, who was wrapped in a white blanket, at a nearby hospital.
“Thankfully, the baby wasn’t harmed physically,” Fulop said.
A city spokeswoman said the ordeal began Saturday morning when officers on a post received a report of a man “dangling a baby over a balcony” on the second floor of a Rose Avenue building.
Officer Joseph Casey first arrived and, along with Matute and other officers, set up a perimeter to negotiate with the man, authorities said.
“The actor was immediately arrested and charges are pending,” the spokeswoman, Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione, told NJ Advance Media Friday evening. “This investigation is ongoing.”
Authorities credited police at the scene with saving the child’s life.
“Kudos to the JCPD and all the officers involved for their heroics and for bringing a safe conclusion to this dangerous situation,” Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said in a statement.
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