MESA, AZ — A Mesa man is being nationally recognized for his heroism more than a year after saving the lives of two children and a dog in a burning apartment complex.
Jonathon Baez is one of 16 people across the country being awarded the Carnegie Medal, which is given to people “who enter extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.” It is considered "North America’s highest honor for civilian heroism."
The award includes a unique medal, $7,500 and scholarship opportunities for any further education Baez may seek.
We spoke with Baez about the honor and he said both police and fire departments have offered opportunities to work with them. He says he's interested in learning more about being on the Mesa police force, but a decision hasn't been made.
Baez said his job as a painter was canceled on Feb. 18, 2022, so he was given the day off. He and his cousin went to a car wash near US 60 and Gilbert Road when a fire broke out nearby.
"Everything happens for a reason, that's what I think,” said Baez in a previous interview with ABC15.
A body camera video shows an officer asking for a ladder. Seconds later, Baez jumps a six-foot fence. He stands on a shed and grabs a broken window with his bare hands to rip it off.
“I think it was adrenaline, I was surprised to see myself. I was like, ‘whoa,’” he said.
With dark smoke billowing out of the room, Baez pulled the first child out to safety. While another officer looked for a medic for the young girl in a diaper, he went inside the apartment to rescue another child and a dog.
Here's what the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission had to say about Baez and the rescue:
A 25-year-old Mesa, Arizona, painter leaped into action Feb. 18, 2022, after seeing smoke issuing from a Mesa apartment building. As Carnegie Hero Jonathon Baez approached the building, he learned that at least one child remained inside a second-floor apartment. After dire conditions prohibited him from entering the apartment at its front door, he went to the rear of the building, climbed to the roof of a storage shed, removed a window frame from a bedroom window 12 feet from the ground, and jumped up, grasping the base of the window sill and pulling himself partially through the opening. Baez found a 2-year-old girl just inside the window, pulled her to him and retreated, handing her off to a police officer nearby. After learning that her 6-year-old sister also remained in the apartment, Baez pulled himself to the window opening again, fully entered the bedroom and searched for the girl despite heavy smoke. Crawling, he found the girl in a closet, about 10 feet from the window opening. Holding her hand, he led her to the window and handed her down to another police officer. He then exited through the window to safety.
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