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Baby Held Out Window In Bronx Fire Is Healthy, Adorable

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The infant held outside a fifth-story window during a Bronx apartment fire escaped the blaze unscathed. "My baby is doing fine," said Saschelle Hewitt, whose cousin dangled her 7-month-old daughter Zaniyah Alexander out a window so the child wouldn't suffocate. "She's the only one without bumps and bruises."

The child's mother spoke with the Daily News—and posed photos with her baby!—and told the tabloid that her cousin did the right thing when the fire erupted out inside their Pelham Parkway Houses apartment on Monday. "She put her through the window because she couldn't breathe in that black stuff," Hewitt, 22, said. "She saved Zaniyah's life."

Thick smoke had trapped Hewitt, her two-year-old daughter Neveah, Zaniyah, and her 18-year-old cousin Vanessa Scott by a window. "It was pitch black," Hewitt said. "We started breaking the windows with our hands so we could breathe and scream for help because no one could find their phones." Scott told the tabloid she tried to stay calm. "I was screaming for help and trying not to panic. I thought the fire was coming closer to me ... I don't think she would be here if I didn't put her out of the window," she said. "It was just too much smoke."

The baby's father, Michel Alexander, jumped out of a different window in the apartment and remains hospitalized for broken bones. According to fire department officials, the blaze was caused by a child playing with fire.

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Comments [rss]

  • theLtrain

    It's really getting irrirtating to see Gothamist constantly refer to the Post and Daily News as "tabloids", yeah they are bullshit papers, but fuck off Gothamist you're a regurgitating blog.

  • You know, the Post and Daily News are literally in "tabloid" format, versus the Times which is a "broadsheet." Besides that, what's wrong with calling them tabloids - they have "Wacko Jacko" or "Lock Up You Bimbos" headlines and some great reporting and fun articles!

  • theLtrain

    Every time you guys do it it's condescending and implies that Gothamist is of greater journalistic value.

    I don't even read the news or the post...

    I suppose theres nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade but still...

  • Trilby16

    How scary. Wow. Imagine that responsibility, holding a probably squirmy baby by one arm. Yikes, and god bless!

  • jt10000

    Yeah! Props to the firefighters too.

  • chuzzlewit

    **whew!**

  • Cannibal

    She deserves a nice mothers day!!

  • jibbly

    Holy cow, that's amazing! Great photo too.

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