Hoboken Police Saved Dying Baby Girl, And Dozens Of Other Lives

HOBOKEN, NJ — It was Friday the 13th, and a baby in Hoboken was dying.

On July 13, 2018, at 4:29 p.m., Hoboken Police Sgt. Luke Zeszotarski headed to 324 Harrison St. after police got a call about a 3-month-old baby who wasn't breathing.

A frantic grandma greeted Zeszotarski with a limp little girl in her arms.

Zeszotarski placed the baby on a nearby surface, "where he observed that she was lethargic, had droopy eyes, was not crying, or making any noise, and appeared unable to breathe," police said this week.

Zeszotarski then checked for an obstructed airway, and when he didn't find anything, he picked the baby up and performed back thrusts with his hands to dislodge obstructions.

After several thrusts, the baby began to cry and return to a normal breathing state.

This is one of dozens of incidents for which current and retired Hoboken police officers were honored this week at a ceremony. They were feted for life-saving actions going back to 2018.

Some of the officers stopped dangerous criminals with firearms. Others tended to people who had overdosed on drugs.

Several officers were cited for responding to an antisemitic attack in Jersey City in December 2019 in which a police officer and three people at a Kosher supermarket were killed.

The stories are here.

Below is a press release from the city about the ceremony Thursday and those who won awards:

More Than 50 Officers Recieve Hoboken Police Awards

Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, Public Safety Director Ken Ferrante, and Police Chief Steven Aguiar congratulated the recipients of the 2023 Hoboken Police Department Awards, as well as four officers who recently retired from the force, at a ceremony at Stevens Institute of Technology Thursday.

Before their families and peers, the department recognized more than 50 members of the HPD for their dedication and service dating back to 2017. The awards honor detectives, sergeants, lieutenants, officers, and others for their outstanding professionalism and often life-saving measures in recent years.

“I fully support our police department, and the men and women who serve our community,” said Mayor Bhalla. “I congratulate all of the award recipients on their much-deserved honors, and believe it is extremely important to acknowledge the risks they take, the lives they have saved, and the time they, and their families, dedicate to the city of Hoboken.”

"I want to congratulate this year’s award recipients who, without hesitation, do whatever it takes to keep our community and city safe,” said Public Safety Director Ferrante. “Our officers up and down the chain of command work tirelessly to safeguard our entire city, and often do so putting their own lives at risk.”

“It has been too long since we’ve come together to show our appreciation to those who put their lives on the line each and every day,” said Chief Aguiar. “No one becomes a police officer for the recognition and these awards, but it is important to acknowledge those who have gone above and beyond their duties, and continue to make this department, and this city proud."

Among the honorees are nearly two dozen Hoboken officers who responded to an active shooter situation in Jersey City on December 10, 2019, during which Jersey City Detective Joseph Seals and three civilians were murdered by domestic terrorists.

The officers were commended for their quick intervention, their evacuation of innocent civilians and school children while the shooting was taking place, providing crowd control, and taking command of communication duties, among other acts of heroism all of which were critical in preventing further tragedy and more loss of life.

During the ceremony four recently retired officers were also honored.

Captain Michael DeTrizio, Captain John Petrosino, Sgt. Arbend Drishti, and Sgt. Michael Miranda, who stepped down from the force last spring, were thanked for their decades of combined service to the Hoboken Police Department, the city, and its residents.

For a full list of winners, and the stories behind the awards, see the full program here.