Sometimes crime does pay. Local inmates worked alongside deputies in 70 degree heat outside the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey, Fla., to save Dallas, a 1-year-old trapped inside a Chevy Tahoe.
Those low-risk, work release inmates just happened to be repairing roadway medians right outside the Judicial Center when they came over to help. Using a wire hanger, they were able to pry the door open within minutes and save the infant from the heat, per local Tampa affiliate WFTS.
"Surprised when somebody had a wire coat hanger, Deputy Richard Stanger, of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office told WFTS. "We were able to get the door open enough to get it in there."
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Dallas' mother told ABC News that her husband tossed the car keys in the front seat and buckeledin the infant. That's when he realized the car was locked and their child was trapped.
A crowd eventually formed outside the car and, in the video, per WFTS, you can hear a woman yell "thank god!" and "honey that was stressful!" when they eventually got it open.
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco understood how a situation like this just doesn't happen every day. He also feels like most inmates just want to live a better life.
“There’s only a very small percentage of those criminals out there that want to fight us and want to attack us," said Nocco. "But a lot of them, like these individuals, they know they made bad mistakes, bad choices, but they want to do the right thing in life.”
Nocco belives the inmates "unique" skill set saved the day and in case you were wondering, they can only get permission to use those skills when a deputy is around, he told WFTS.
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Dallas' mother told Action News that she wants to give back to the inmates commissary accounts and that her daughter is in good condidition.