SUMMIT, NJ — What began as a stolen vehicle investigation quickly turned into a life-saving mission, when two Summit police detectives encountered a burning home in Newark’s South Ward.
On Friday, Aug. 29, at approximately 2:58 p.m., Detective Sgt. Ruddy Garita and Detective Darin Sliker were canvassing South 19th Street for a BMW reported stolen out of Summit the day before. Instead, they saw thick, black smoke pouring from the second story of a residence. They spoke with a man running out of the building, saying he believed other people were inside.
From the rear window, a woman and child were screaming for help. Acting without hesitation, Garita grabbed a contractor’s ladder from across the street, scaled it and pulled the toddler to safety through the smoke-filled window.
At the same time, Sliker and Newark police officers forced entry through the front door, pushing through dense smoke as they searched the second floor. They breached a locked door and shouted through the darkness to ensure no one was trapped, ultimately confirming that all occupants had escaped before retreating.
Summit Police Chief Ryan Peters commended their actions:
“The actions of Detective Sgt. Garita and Detective Sliker were nothing short of heroic. Their courage, swift decision-making and unwavering dedication to preserving life under extreme pressure reflect the highest standards of law enforcement. Without regard for their personal safety, they relied on their training, instincts and commitment to duty to perform life-saving measures in a rapidly deteriorating and dangerous environment.”
This incident underscores the commitment of Summit’s officers, not only to their assigned duties, but to the preservation of life whenever called upon to do so.
In July, Sliker was awarded a lifesaving award from the Summit Police Department for saving a man’s life while off-duty and in another city. After he found an individual struck by a vehicle and without a pulse, he quickly performed CPR, resuscitating the man, who was then transferred to the hospital. He is out of the hospital now and expected to make a full recovery.
