Bus Driver Reunites with 5-Year-Old He Found Walking Alone After She Skipped School: 'Thank You Luis for Being My Hero'

Mar. 15, 2025

In a previous email to PEOPLE, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) spokesperson said that on the late morning of Sept. 11, police responded to a 911 call about a missing 5-year-old female in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood who apparently skipped school.

As officers were searching the area, another 911 call reported that the missing child was last seen on an eastbound M116 MTA bus.

“Officers were able to track down and stop the bus that she missing was on. EMS responded to the location and evaluated her on scene. There were no injuries reported as a result of this incident,” the spokesperson told PEOPLE on Oct. 15.

Jimenez told WABC that he was finishing his morning shift that day when he spotted Addy alone on a sidewalk. He added that he monitored Addy for about a block and then told one of his passengers to call 911.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The driver pulled the bus over, contacted his dispatcher and brought Addy onto the bus with the help from other passengers until police arrived.

Addy told WABC that she snuck out of school and was looking to replace a pet fish that had died.

“We were totally, like, scared,” Addy’s mom, Julissa Gonazalez, also told the local news outlet. “We didn’t know what to think. You know, we were terrified because that’s our little girl.”

Addy’s dad, Cesar Gonzalez, added, “She’s always been very determined to do what she wants.”

Jimenez told WABC it made him feel good that Addy was reunited with her family after the incident. “I couldn’t wait to meet her and her parents because something like that should be celebrated, she was able to get home,” he said.

During the reunion, Jimenez gave Addy a present: a goldfish. Addy told WABC that she was going to name her new pet “Luis” after her Good Samaritan.

“Thank you Luis for being my hero and saving my life,” the child told the bus driver.

In return, Addy presented Jimenez a gift: a Jets cap that contained the message, “Addy’s hero.”

“I love it,” a beaming Jimenez said, per WABC.

In addition to being a bus driver, Jimenez has a side gig as a member of the Timeless Torches, a dance group that performs at New York Liberty games, reported theNew York Post. He told the paper in 2013 that the working with the Torches assists him with his normal day job.

PEOPLE reached out to Jimenez through the MTA for comment on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

source: people.com