NYPD, Local Officials Honor Middle Village Man Who Saved Unconscious 5-Year-Old Girl

Captain Victoria Perry, Viorel Meza, X and Council Member Robert Holden. (Photo: Council Member Robert Holden)

June 19, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan

The 104 Precinct honored a heroic civilian during last night’s Community Council precinct meeting for saving the life of a 5-year-old girl in Middle Village last month.

On May 23, the young girl was riding her scooter down Eliot Avenue around 3 p.m. when she fell off, became unconscious and stopped breathing. Local resident Viorel Meza saw the girl in need and sprang into action, performing CPR on the child.

“I didn’t know what kind of hit it was and where and how that she stopped breathing,” Meza said. “When you’re doing CPR you think it’s been like 10 minutes but no, it’s been one minute or 30 seconds. It’s like an earthquake where your time starts expanding. I lost her for one moment or two and then she’d start breathing and then go back not breathing and I said ‘no, she has to keep breathing.”

Once the young girl let out a cry, Meza said he knew he could stop performing CPR.

104 Precinct Commanding Officer Victoria Perry presented Meza with an award of recognition from the precinct and praised him for his life-saving work.

“This child today has had a full recovery and is doing well and we have nobody to thank except Mr. Viorel,” Perry said.

City Council Member Robert Holden also acknowledged Meza’s actions with a City Council proclamation.

“Your life made a difference,” Holden said. “I have a 5-year-old grandson so I can identify with what if that happened to my grandson? You happened to be in the right spot […] and the greatest gift you can give is to save another life.”

Meza was also presented with a citation from Assembly Member Mike Miller.

Meza thanked the officers and elected officials for their recognition, and emphasized the importance of everyone learning CPR so that they could someday save a life.

“I think that my helping somebody was, for me, the usual way—a normal thing to do,” Meza said. “Performing CPR is so easy. Please do go and learn that, it’s very easy and it can save a life anywhere, anytime.”