On scene in a minute, NJ cop saves 9-month-old’s life

Melanie Diaz is only 9 months old, but she's already got a hero. And that hero's a cop who's only been on the job around as long as Melanie's been alive.

On Friday, Long Branch Police Officer Omar Akel responded to an emergency call on the 100 block of Lippincott Avenue, police said. The caller reported a 9-month-old infant was choking.

Akel arrived on the scene and began to administer first aid to the child, police said. He dislodged the obstruction and cleared the child's airway.

"His ability to rapidly assess the situation and take appropriate action allowed him to save the infant's life!" police wrote in a Facebook post about the life-saving intervention. "Congratulations on a job well done! We thank you and we're sure the family does too!"

A story by the Asbury Park Press identified the child as Melanie, daughter of Yuri Sandoval and Erasmo Diaz.

Melanie was crying so loudly that “the neighbors knew she had a clear airway," the report quotes Akel saying. "That’s what you want in that situation. I explained the child is good and handed the child to her mother."

Akel had gotten to the home in under a minute, the report says. Yuri Sandoval and Erasmo Diaz said they chose the house in part because of its close proximity to the police state, the report said.

Akel, a former EMT, had graduated from the police academy in May, the report said.