Fast-moving labor ends with a healthy delivery and a precinct honor

Claudia Huertero knew she was close to giving birth, feeling her contractions increasing in frequency and intensity. Unable to make a phone call herself, she asked her son Jorge to call 911.

“He called because I wasn’t able to, I was in pain,” Huertero said. “I think by mistake he first called the police.”

Jorge called 911 while his mother was in labor and screaming in pain.

Just two blocks away, Officers Malik and Aviles of the 72nd Precinct were in their patrol car when they heard the call for medical assistance. They knew an ambulance was on its way, but decided to head to the location to assist EMS.

Because they were so close, the officers arrived before the ambulance. When they got to the 54th Street location, Jorge waved them down in a nervous, frightened state and brought them into the building.

“I heard her screaming as soon as we got upstairs,” Officer Aviles said.

They found Huertero in bed, in the throes of labor.

“I had never seen a childbirth before, I was very nervous,” Aviles said. “My partner... she was kind of like, I’ll take care of it, just keep the mom calm. I was like, you don’t need to tell me twice.”

Malik, who had given birth to three children of her own and had also assisted her sister in childbirth, knew immediately what to do. She asked Jorge to bring towels and a blanket.

Officers Malik and Aviles went into action as a team in the bedroom while Huertero cried out in the agony of childbirth.

Aviles focused on comforting Huertero, despite not speaking Spanish, Huertero’s only language.

“I told her to breathe,” said Aviles. “It happened so fast, she was just screaming in pain.”

Jorge kept his distance as the officers focused on their mission.

“Two seconds later the head was out,” said Aviles. “It was a clean birth, literally one push and the baby came out.” It was a baby girl.

“I had the baby and then the police waited for the ambulance to arrive,” Huertero explained.

Officer Malik wrapped the baby in a blanket, and then Jorge got his first look at his new baby sister.

“She was calm after that,” Aviles said.

The mother and healthy newborn, named Darling, were taken by ambulance to NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, while Officers Aviles and Malik followed in their patrol car.

Both mother and baby were reported to be healthy. With little time to rest, Officers Malik and Aviles received and responded to their next call, continuing their daily police work.

Officer Malik and Aviles receive the 72nd Precinct Cop of the Month Award at the ceremony. Photo by Brian Dentz

“It was definitely different but rewarding,” said Aviles, who has served as a police officer for two years, always with the 72nd Precinct.

On March 12, just one day shy of a month after coming into this world, Darling watched Officers Malik and Aviles receive the 72nd Precinct Cop of the Month Award, presented by Deputy Inspector Mobeen Yasin at the monthly Police Community Council meeting.

The next 72nd Precinct Community Council Meeting is set for Tuesday, April 14, 7 p.m. at Holy Name Church, 245 Prospect Park West.