City of Cocoa Employee Amy Dunegan Recognized For Saving Missing 3-Year-Old Boy From Busy Street

By  //  April 5, 2018

Dunegan works as a customer service representative for City of Cocoa

ABOVE VIDEO: Amy Dunegan presented Dunegan with a Certificate of Appreciation for her efforts. (Cocoa PD Video)

BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – A city of Cocoa employee was recognized for her good deed in saving a 3-year-old child from wandering into traffic last Friday.

Amy Dunegan, a customer service representative for the City of Cocoa, was on her way to work last Friday when she saw a 3-year-old boy on the edge of the road in the 1900 block Michigan Avenue.

“As others drove by, Ms. Dunegan waited to see if any adult was nearby. When she saw no one else near the child, she stopped her car, got out and picked the boy up,” said Yvonne Martinez of the Cocoa Police Department.

“Dunegan tried to talk to the toddler to find out where he might live. She guessed he likely lived in a nearby apartment complex, so she put the boy in her car and drove towards the apartments. As soon as she pulled in, she saw several police cars in the area. Dunegan asked the officers if they were searching for a small child and they confirmed they were.”

Police say Dunegan immediately got the child out of the car and family members nearby ran over to thank her for saving the boy.

Amy Dunegan

“I’m a true believer that God places you where you are meant to be sometimes,” Dunegan said.

“What if I wasn’t there? That’s the scary part. I’m just glad I was there at that time.”

Cocoa Patrol officers later learned the child slipped out of his home, while the family was sleeping.

The child’s mother woke up around 7:30 a.m. Friday and found the front door wide open and the boy was missing.

Police say she immediately called 9-1-1 to report her child missing.

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The Florida Department of Children and Families has been made aware of the incident.

The child was returned to the mother without further incident.

Cocoa’s Major John Hankins presented Dunegan with a Certificate of Appreciation for her efforts and thanked her for her good deed.

Cocoa’s Major John Hankins presented Ms. Dunegan with a Certificate of Appreciation for her efforts and thanked her for her good deed.

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