Stockton Grocery Clerk Rescues Elderly Woman From Burning Home
STOCKTON (CBS13) — A Stockton grocery clerk, now turned hero.
Luis Zamudio is being hailed after he rescued an elderly woman from her burning home Thursday evening.
Stockton police say a Hispanic man tried to burn it down. The suspect escaped, and now police are searching for him.
"Smoke was just billowing out as you can see and it was a scary sight in there," said Luis Zamudio.
That's when Zamudio's adrenaline kicked in.
"Something like that just kicks in, I didn't think about the danger," Zamudio said.
He says two women came running out of the burning home and were begging for help.
"When they told me Grandma was in there, everything faded away, and I was like 'OKI gotta find Grandma,'" Zamudio added.
He ran inside the burning home to find an elderly woman who couldn't walk.
Zamudio was determined to save her life.
"I scooped her up, and we both made our way out of the house. Once I hit the hallway though, the smoke got even more suffocating; I didn't think we were gonna make it at that point, but me and her did it," Zamudio said with relief.
The fire was started by a Hispanic male according to Stockton police.
Officers say there was a domestic dispute between the suspect and someone who lived at the home, but police couldn't say how anyone was related.
They say four people safely escaped out of the home -- including the woman saved by Zamudio.
A grocery store clerk with a heroic edge, scooping up a victim just in the knick of time.
"I wouldn't say, hero, just a guy who showed up who had the opportunity to help."
Police say the family dog didn't make it, but say everyone else is OK.
Officers are still searching for the suspect.
