A 12-year-old boy made a 911 call from the passenger seat of a moving car after his father took him from a family party in Los Angeles. He bravely led rescuers to their location, saying: “My dad is trying to take me to Vegas, he’s acting weird.”
Boy calls 911 from passenger seat as dad begins acting weird behind the wheel on the interstate
Authorities are calling a young boy “brave” for making an emergency call from the passenger seat after his father took him from a family party in Los Angeles.
It all began in South Los Angeles earlier in the day, when 12-year-old Dominguez was asked by his father if he wanted to go to the park and play football, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The father took his son from the party without telling anyone, Yahoo reported.
But after the boy got into the car with his dad, he soon realized that something was wrong. His father began acting strangely.
Instead of heading to the park, his father strapped on a Las Vegas Raiders helmet, then told his son they were heading to Vegas.
The boy tried calling his family but was unable to reach anyone.
Boy calls 911 and is able to direct cops to car as it traveled
After being unable to reach his family, Dominguez called 911.
When dispatchers received the call, the boy told them: “I’m surprised he [the father] is letting me talk.”
At one point early in the call, Dominguez explained to dispatchers that his parents were divorced.
The boy then told dispatchers what type of car he was traveling in, as well as described landmarks, exit signs, and road signs, as well as detailing the vehicles that were around them and their license plates.
At one point, briefly, dispatchers spoke with the father, but he was unresponsive to their questions. He spoke rapidly in Spanish, mostly praying about the end of the world, said one of the dispatchers who handled the call.
The boy spotted officers on the highway at one point, but they passed by without stopping. The dispatchers instructed the boy to roll down the window and wave at officers when he saw them again.
The father was driving between 40 and 50 mph, according to the boy, who said his father almost crashed at one point.
Around 6:10 PM, authorities from the California Highway Patrol located the car in the Rancho Cucamonga area. Officers were able to stop the vehicle, and the father, Luis Emmanuel Enriquez, 32, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and child endangerment.
Authorities contacted the boy’s family and he was returned home safely.
