A Homeless Man Rescues Lost Boy in Miami
A homeless man has been praised for rescuing a lost boy who was wandering the streets of Miami late Wednesday night. Authorities noted that the situation could have turned out very differently if he hadn’t intervened.
Arnett Johnson, who has been staying on a bench in the Allapattah neighborhood since his release from prison six months ago, described his surprise upon seeing the boy alone just before midnight.
Johnson mentioned that having lived on the streets, he had seen many strange things but felt fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, which he attributed to a higher power.
“God sent me there. I had to do what God said,” he shared with local media.
Before making any assumptions, Johnson took a moment to look around for the boy’s parents but confirmed the child was truly on his own.
He contacted the police and kept the 6-year-old safe until help arrived.
“Every day is dangerous here, especially with the homeless community around. You get stereotyped, and it’s risky,” Johnson said.
Miami police commended the “good Samaritan who was sleeping on the street” for his actions in saving the child.
Officer Mike Vega expressed gratitude, saying, “I salute him. I don’t know what would have happened if he had stayed on the street.”
The boy revealed he had been left by his mother, saying, “My mom dropped me off and left me there.”
Due to a speech delay, it was challenging for the police to gather information from him regarding his identity and that of his parents.
The child’s mother, identified as Annie Rivera, was later arrested and charged with child neglect.
Early the following day, school officials recognized the boy from a flyer during a background check and promptly notified the police.
With confirmed identification of the child, authorities reached out to a witness who had recently housed Rivera and her son but noticed they went missing around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Rivera returned by 6 a.m. Thursday without her son.
Rivera was taken into custody a few hours later on child neglect charges, although there was no physical harm to the boy.
The child has since been placed under the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families.
