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‘Heroes:’ Orange County Utilities workers find pajama-clad boy on SR-417 on ramp

Workers stay with boy to ensure his safety

Virendra “Arune” Persaud and Abdiel Otero Ortiz (Orange County Florida)

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Two Orange County Utilities Water Division workers are credited with preventing a child on a scooter from entering a busy Central Florida roadway.

Virendra “Arune” Persaud and Abdiel Otero Ortiz routinely travel around the county to repair and upgrade electrical systems, and on a recent Friday, they saw a young boy by an on-ramp of State Road 417. He was clad in pajamas and tennis shoes and was playing on a scooter, a news release stated.

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The duo pulled over their vehicle to approach the child and then contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Two Orange County Utility workers are being credited from preventing a child from entering State Road 417. (Orange County Government)

Persaud and Ortiz stayed with the child until deputies arrived.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings praised the pair’s actions.

“These two ‘heroes’ went above and beyond to make sure this child was safe,” said Demings. “We are grateful for their quick thinking and that the child was saved from what could have been a terrible tragedy.”

The child was unharmed.

No word on where the child lived or how far he traveled on the scooter.

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About the Author
Haley Coomes headshot

Haley is a digital content producer for ClickOrlando.com and first started as a News 6 producer in October 2014. She's a graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in journalism. She specializes in theme parks and lifestyle writing.

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