TAMPA, Florida — It was a sweet moment for one Hillsborough County deputy who lent a helping hand to a family who introduced a new member into their home just weeks ago.
Master Deputy Daniel "Red" Jones was able to reunite with the family he helped on the side of Highway 60 in Plant City when the mother went into labor. The couple named their sixth child Lexela Luis Lopez. She's the couple's first baby to be born outside of a hospital, they said.
For Jones, it's the third baby he's helped deliver in his law enforcement career. As he smiled down on little Lexela, it was the moments like these that make the high-stress moments worth it.
"She's a pretty baby," Jones said. "She's healthy. That's the good thing."
Everyone wore big smiles as they all met up for the first time since the delivery. That day was filled with the unknown including how the mom felt as Jones helped bring Lexela into the world.
"I didn't know if you knew what you were doing at first," she said with a laugh.
The couple said the mom's water broke before they left their home and they were headed to the hospital. The father, Luis Lopez, found the deputy on Highway 60 and asked for help. Jones said he was actually in the area in reference to a road rage call.
"Let them do what they can do to get her to the hospital or the baby need to be delivered there — and it happened," Luis Lopez said.
Jones said he was in the right place at the right time.
"The other ones, I always made it to the hospital," Lexela Alonso, the mother said. "But her – she didn't want to wait."
The reunion wouldn't be complete without gifts. Jones brought the family diapers, onesies, and an "Operation" board game for laughs.
He plans on retiring in a few years and said, "This will be one of the memories I cherish."