Mailman Delivers Toddler Wandering In Busy Road To Safety
By Stan Bush
DENVER (CBS4) - A toddler owes her life to a neighborhood mailman who cared when nobody else did.
Robert Batley, a carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, was starting his route at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when he saw a 2-year-old girl standing alone in the middle of Zuni Street in Federal Heights. He says cars were speeding by, but no one was stopping or looking out for the girl.
"Cars are going by and I thought I'd get over there as quick as I could because she could dart out in the middle of the road," Batley said.
The mailman stopped in the middle of the road to block the toddler from traffic and then took her to safety before calling 911.
Adams County deputies scoured to neighborhood looking for the girl's parents. They learned that the girl was being babysat by her grandfather, who allegedly placed the girl in front of a TV and didn't check in on her. The bored toddler apparently walked out of the front door.
According to the sheriff's department, the grandfather, whose name has not been released, was unaware his granddaughter was missing until deputies arrived at the front door. He's been charged with misdemeanor child abuse. The child is back with her parents.
"It's mind blowing ... I'm just glad she's safe and I'm glad she's back with her mom," Batley added.
Batley says he's been on the same mail route at 76th and Zuni for five years. He jumped into action when nobody else would and says the neighborhood feels like his own backyard.
"We're out here every day and we see what's going on," he said.
Stan Bush is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 10. Read his bio and follow him on Twitter @StanBushTV.
