4-year-old NJ girl rescued after getting stuck in baby stroller

Thursday, December 10, 2020

4-year-old rescued after getting stuck in baby stroller

Lauren Glassberg has more on a New Jersey girl who needed help from police to get her out of a sticky situation.

PARAMUS, New Jersey (WABC) -- A New Jersey girl needed help from police to get herself out of a tricky situation Tuesday.

Nina Saleh loves her baby stroller, but the 4-year-old somehow managed to get wedged in hers.

"I tried for 20 minutes," mother Iman Jabara said. "I thought, why not call our police department? They're always here to help."

Paramus police officers described what they saw when they arrived at the scene.

"When I got there and saw it was a stroller around her waist, I thought if she got in there, maybe we can get her out the same way, so we tried sliding it," Officer Ben Fox said.

Fox's fellow officer Robert Sobocinski even considered using bolt cutters, but Saleh didn't like the looks of them.

"I immediately knew that this isn't going to get her out immediately," Sobocinski said. "Let's slow things down and try to figure out the best way to get her out and keep her calm and unafraid of the police for the rest of her life."

He eventually snaps a latch, and seconds later she was free and beyond grateful.

And while Saleh knows those officers are heroes, the sweetest moment was yet to come.

"I was explaining to her I would go out and buy her a new one," Jabara said. "And she was like, 'No I want my stroller."

To Saleh's surprise, Officer Sobicinski returned with a brand new stroller. He'd bought the toy with his own money on his lunch break.

"Thank you so much," Saleh said.

Jabara said that Sobincinski is a "true hero" and that she is very thankful.

It may not have been their most challenging rescue, but it was certainly one of the most rewarding.

"It's about a 4-year-old that said thank you so much and then the look on her face when you give her a replacement toy, it was like you know what, 2020 wasn't so bad for me at the end," Sobicinski said.

Saleh now is strolling off with one heck of a rescue story.