Residents Angered with Overall Inaction to Save Gabriel’s Life

Today, the community expressed outrage at the public who were along the route that little Gabriel Orellano ran on Monday afternoon before his body was found in the Caribbean Sea near the ‘Hangar.’ As shown on News Five’s Tuesday evening broadcast, several surveillance cameras captured the young boy running through traffic. While reports indicate that a few people tried to stop him at various points, no one was able to catch him. News Five’s Marion Ali spoke with a mother who attempted to detain Gabriel when she saw him running. She is heartbroken that she couldn’t save him, and the community is disappointed in those who did nothing to help. Here’s that report.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

The video of six-year-old Gabriel Pablo Orellano running through the busy streets from Princess Margaret Drive, down Freetown Road, onto Kelly Street, and Marine Parade during Monday’s lunch hour traffic has left many residents outraged. They’re furious because no one stopped to check on Gabriel, take him into custody, and hand him over to the authorities. Less than an hour after these images were captured, his body was found floating in the sea near the ‘Hangar.’ Gabriel, a child with special needs, was failed by those who saw him running and did nothing to help. This inaction has particularly upset Kezia Young, a mother of a child with special needs.

 

Kezia Young, Concerned Resident

“Soh much people mi deh it out deh, watch this lee bwai deh middle street, middle street! And if unu mi even care as wa society, unu mi wa realize in deh eena wa Stella Maris uniform. Anybody weh know weh Stella Maris School is about, Stella Maris school is a school – da nuh, fi quote-unquote, retarded picnic. Unu get da idea outta unu head one time. It’s for differently abled kids. It’s for kids who have issues hearing, kids who have issues seeing, kids who have intellectual issues. And a lot of people like to stereotype Stella Maris School. They stereotype the school so much that at least a six-year-old boy in his uniform can run down the damn street and get himself hurt because absolutely nobody stops, absolutely nobody stops and address the lee bwai.”

News Five spoke with Brittney Banks, who tearfully recounted how she tried to chase after Gabriel but couldn’t keep up with him. Banks explained that she was at home when she saw Gabriel running past her house.

 

Voice of: Brittney Banks, Kelly Street Resident

“ What caught my attention was a little boy in middle street and a delivery guy say “Spanish, weh yoh gwein?” So I come downstairs and I look out and when I look out and I realize that he was in a Stella Maris uniform. I left my house and I walked down the lane and by the time I reached the lane by the school on Wilson Street, I saw him already past the Sister Cecilia’s Home.  At that same time a guy was passing on a bicycle, and I tell her, catch that little boy, he run with somebody. He was already by Mexican Embassy, going to the direction of Moe’s.”

 

Banks said she initially turned back and went home, but when an employee from Stella Maris School came by a few minutes later asking about the child, she realized something was seriously wrong and sprang into action.

 

Voice of: Brittney Banks

“I’m not sure if it was a teacher or security, but I think it’s a helper at the school. She came looking for the little boy. She couldn’t even breathe good because she looked like she was running. So I said, “Were you looking for the little boy?” And I explained to her the direction the little boy went. And I tell her, “Matter of fact, let me get my babies and I’ll take you in the car,” and we went looking. I tell her we’re going the same exact direction he went that I saw he went. So we went and we went to Moe’s, asked the girls inside. They say, yes, he just went so about thirty minutes ago. So I said, “Okay, thank you,” jumped in the vehicle and we drive to the park and I ask the security across the street, “Did you see the little boy?” He said “Yes, he went down more.” So we drive, we drive and I ask the young lady, I said, “What we’re going to do because we’re looking. She said, well, take me back to school. Let me check if someone caught him because it was more than one teachers looking for him. So I dropped her back to school hoping come back, hoping that yes, they caught him.”

 

When the news broke later that afternoon about a child’s body being pulled from the sea, Banks realized it was the same little boy she had tried to save. She admitted feeling a deep sense of guilt.

Voice of: Brittney Banks

“It hurt me thinking what should I have done more if it was only me, could I have gone further. If it was only me, should I have to go farther looking for him?”

 

This morning, we hit the streets to gather opinions, and everyone we spoke with echoed Kezia Young’s sentiment: those who stood by and did nothing are to blame for Gabriel’s tragic death.

 

Voice of: Edward Sanchez, Concerned Resident

“If it was me and I see the kid di run, I mi wa put in my effort and not only put in my effort, I mi wa meke sure that I stop him, run up a bike or car and go ahead and ask him what di happen. And when you hear he can’t respond, you take him to the police station or back to the school because he’s got a uniform.”

 

Linda Tillett, Concerned Resident

“ They should have wa lee consideration and just hold ah, grab ah. Two person could grab dale bwai man. He nuh that strong, you understand? So, I’m so sorry for her about it and my condolences go to the family.”

 

Voice of: Anthony Cruz, Concerned Resident

“Goh fi the lee bwai. That shouldn’t have happened. That da weh bother me bout the whole thing there. It shouldn’t have happened. Everybody at fault when ih come to the lee boy deh.”

 

The Ministry of Education and the police are currently investigating the matter. Marion Ali for News Five.