A Florida deputy who helped deliver a healthy baby girl on the shoulder of a highway late last month reunited with the newborn and her parents ahead of Mother’s Day.
The reunion occurred Friday, almost two weeks after Hillsborough County Master Deputy Daniel ‘Red’ Jones delivered baby Lexela on the side of Highway 60 in Plant City.
The county sheriff’s office shared heartwarming pictures of Jones holding baby Lexela alongside her parents, Luis Lopez and Lexela Nolasco.
The roadside birthing incident happened on April 30 as the baby’s mother and father made their way to Tampa General Hospital, when Nolasco’s water broke.
The pair quickly realized they weren’t going to make it to the hospital in time to deliver and so flagged down help on the roadway, where he found Deputy Jones.
Luis Lopez (left), Lexela Nolasco (center) and Deputy Dan ‘Red’ Jones (right) pose with two week old baby Lexela, whom Red had helped deliver on the side of a Florida highway
Following the birth, Jones told FOX13 Tampa, ‘Five minutes before we pulled up, I had my gun on a guy getting him out of his car because he was acting a fool.’
‘And then, five minutes later, I’m delivering a baby in their car. So, you just don’t ever know. That’s the emotion of law enforcement, I guess.’
The birth, which was captured on Jones’ bodycam, was the deputy’s third career delivery since he joined the sheriff’s office in 2001, and the mother’s sixth child.
Lexela had always made it to the hospital in time to birth her other five children.
When Jones learned how many kids the pair already had, he joked: ‘Six! Woo! Y’all need a better hobby!’
The couple say they are thankful Jones was in the right place at the right time.
During the dramatic birth, Jones offered the woman words of encouragement and attempted to keep the young couple calm.
On the bodycam footage, Jones could be heard saying: ‘All right, look at me, look at me. Breathe through, all right, mama. Breathe through.’
Paramedics arrived on the scene a short time later and transported the mother and baby to a nearby hospital for further evaluation and care.
Upon reuniting Friday, Luis Lopez said: ‘I’m really, like, really emotional and happy.’
The sheriff’s deputy looked pleased as punch as he held up little Lexela – who was wearing a very special romper for the occasion.
‘No, her name is NOT Red, but ‘Little Red’ is a cool nickname! What do y’all think?!’, the sheriff’s office wrote alongside the pictures.
Deputy Jones poses with nearly two-week old baby Lexela Nolasco, who is wearing a baby onesie with the nickname ‘Little Red’ on it, in order of Jones’ nickname – Red
Lexsela Nolasco was safely delivered on the side of Highway 60 in Plant City, Florida
After the happy news on April 30, Luis said: ‘I want to thank the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Department for having amazing officers that helped us to deliver our baby girl at Highway 60.’
‘Also, thanks to the fire department and EMS team for the awesome job they did there.’
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office praised Jones for his quick actions.
‘I am extremely proud of Master Deputy Jones’s quick actions and dedication to serving our community in any capacity,’ Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
‘This is his third time assisting a citizen with delivering a baby! While delivering in the front seat of a car was not the original birth plan, Master Deputy Jones reassured the mother of six that she was in good hands.
‘I wish mom, dad, and their new baby girl all the joy and happiness. Congratulations!’
Jones, known by most around Hillsborough County as ‘Red,’ is also a local small business owner and, as a young man, had a career as a rodeo cowboy.
He’s an active Patrol Master Deputy and won HCSO’s Distinguished Service Award in 2012 and a Life Saving Award in 2021.
