YORK, Pa. — A York City man who ran into a burning apartment and saved a 5-year-old girl and several others is being called a hero.
It all unfolded during the early morning hours on April 29 when a three-story apartment building caught fire along the 500 block of South Queen Street in York City.
According to court documents, a 5-year-old girl was left alone within the apartment at the time of the fire. Her parents, no where to be found.
That's when 28-year-old William 'Chino' Rivera jumped into action. Rivera was awoken around 3:30 a.m. by the sounds of a little girl screaming for help and lots of smoke filling the building.
According to a May 4 post from York City Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow, Rivera sprang into action and knocked on his neighbors door--waking up an elderly disabled couple--and alerted them to the fire so they could escape.
Following the little girls shouts for helps--Rivera tried the door of the apartment where she lived with her parents, but it was locked. He kicked down the door--but the smoke and fire were too much to safely get to her, according to police reports.
Rivera ran outside and to the little girls window--where he could still hear her pleas for help.
Thinking to himself, 'I don't have any kids, no family here, I have nothing to lose, I have to check,' --Rivera smashed the window and climbed into the burning room where he found the little girl alone and curled up in a corner with heavy fire conditions surrounding her, according to Muldrow's post.
Rivera picked the little girl up and carried her to safety.
According to court documents, after climbing back through the window, the room where they had been moments before became engulfed in flames. Fire investigators called it a 'flashover,' an extremely dangerous situation with a low chance of human survival.
After she was safe--Rivera returned back inside--going door-to-door to make sure everyone else got out of the apartment building.
Afterwards, Rivera stayed with the little girl until her parents, Wilma Alicea and Jose Alicea-Arroyo returned for her. The pair then fled the scene with the child and were later taken into custody on child endangerment charges.
York City Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow hailed Rivera not only as a hero, but called him 'a guardian angel' and credits him for saving many lives.
Muldrow said in his post that Rivera came to the United States nearly seven years ago from Puerto Rico-- following a severe injury that ended his career as an up-and-coming jockey.
According to the post, Rivera has been alone, working to make his way with only his clothes, a room for rent and his car to his name.
Following the fire, Rivera was left with nothing--no clothes, no belongings and no place to live. The York City Police Department reached out to the York YMCA--and after one call they were able to make arrangements for him.
'Had it not been for the selfless and remarkable actions of Rivera, we are certain the little girl, the elderly couple and possibly several others would have lost their lives,' Muldrow said in the post.
