Store manager dives into oncoming traffic to save little girl
A grocery store manager rushed into moving traffic to protect a 3-year-old girl who had darted into the road outside a supermarket in Puebla, Mexico, on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. Credit: Super King El Rey del Ahorro
A supermarket manager in Mexico is being praised for a split-second rescue after surveillance video captured him plunging into the street to pull a young girl away from oncoming vehicles.
Luis Cruz, who manages the Super King El Rey del Ahorro grocery store, ran after the 3-year-old as she wandered toward a busy roadway, grabbing her and diving to the pavement just moments before a silver minivan passed through her path.
The frightening incident happened outside the Puebla supermarket at around 2 p.m. local time, after the child reportedly slipped free from her mother’s hand, according to Mexican outlet Tribuna Noticias.
Footage shows a woman initially chasing after the little girl, but she lost her footing and fell before she could reach her.
A woman falls while trying to stop a child who ran into the street outside a grocery store in Puebla, Mexico, on Sept. 6, 2026. (Super King El Rey del Ahorro)
In the video, Cruz closes the distance in seconds, lunging toward the child and knocking her safely down just before the minivan crossed the lane she was about to enter.
With horns blaring, Cruz can be seen pulling the girl backward as both tumble onto the lane nearest the store, while the minivan brakes sharply in the middle lane.
Luis Cruz saves a little girl from being hit by a minivan in Puebla, Mexico, on Sept. 6, 2026. (Super King El Rey del Ahorro)
The grocery store, according to Tribuna Noticias, awarded Cruz with 20,000 Mexican pesos – roughly $1,184 – for his heroics.
Cruz also reportedly said he didn’t think before taking action, and that as a father himself he was driven by paternal action. He also, Tribuna Noticias reported, urged parents to keep a watchful eye on their children.
The Super King El Rey del Ahorro in Puebla, Mexico. (Google Street View)
News Outlet contacted Super King El Rey del Ahorro for confirmation and further comment.
