Two men miraculously catch falling toddler

(Bronx - WABC, January 4, 2007) (WABC) -- A toddler tumbled out a fourth-story window in an apartment complex in the East Tremont section of the Bronx Thursday, and was miraculously caught by two men below, police said.

Eyewitness News reporter Nina Pineda has more.

Police say 3-year-old Timothy Addo climbed out the window and onto a fire escape at 2105 Daly Avenue at 12:20 p.m. The boy was reportedly hanging from the fire escape, but hung for enough time for people to position themselves underneath and attempt to help him.

"He was holding on for a split-second, and in that second he let go," eyewitness Malagrose Santiago said. "He just fell down quickly."

He managed to hang on long enough for many neighbors to see him.

"They were trying to convince the kid to go back in," eyewitness Luis Gonzales said. "So the kid didn't, you know, he's a baby, he wouldn't pay no mind or whatever, I guess he must've lost his grip, and fell, and they caught him."

Terrified neighbors watched as Addo couldn't have on any longer and fell.

Pedro Julio Nevarez and Julio Gonzalez had positioned themselves on the sidewalk to try and catch Addo.

"I was just hoping and praying that I was going to be able to grab him, because as he was coming down I noticed he was pretty big, a pretty big kid," Nevarez said. "It's so fortunate that [Julio Gonzalez] was standing right next to me, because actually [Addo] bounced off of me. I couldn't get a good grip, and [Gonzalez] grabbed him."

"As I seen him, just like I said, I just ran across the street," Gonzalez said. "I said I gotta catch this kid, I gotta catch him."

Addo was reportedly taken to St. Barnabas Hospital with cuts and abrasions to head and face. He is expected to survive.

Detectives are questioning the boy's 50-year-old babysitter. She apparently opened the apartment's only window, which did not have window guards, to smoke a cigarette.

After she was done, investigators say she left the window open and unattended, and the baby boy climbed through. There were reportedly no guards on the window.

The babysitter was taken to the 48th Precinct to be questioned. Police on Friday said no charges will be filed.

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