Fortunately, a woman who asked not to be identified saw what happened and came to Amy Martinez’s aid.
She had just dropped her child off at the same school Martinez was going to at the time and heard her screaming for help. At first she was confused as to what was going on, the woman didn’t know exactly what to do but she knew something had to be done.
She got out of her car and ran to the girl and the woman and asked the girl if she was okay. He answered her question with the look of utter horror on the 12-year-old’s face. The woman later told KTLA, “Her eyes were screaming for help. I’ll never forget the way she looked at me.”
Amy will probably never forget the woman who came up to her and hugged her completely before leading her away from where she was headed.
According to ABC News, Anthony Bertegna, a corporal with the Santa Ana Police Department, said the girl was dragged down the street in a “one-armed bear hug.”
What prompted the suspect to finally release the child was the unidentified woman quickly thinking on her feet and saying that she is the girl’s mother and needs her. The thought that came to the girl’s mind at that moment was immense gratitude. As ABC News reported, Amy later told the woman who saved her, “I want to thank you for saving my life and you are my hero.”
