VIN'S PEOPLE: MCSO child protection investigator, sergeant honored for lifesaving actions
Salutes to two people with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office – Child Protection Investigator Wanda Alejandre and Sgt. Laszlo Nagy – whose actions saved children.
Alejandre worked a multifaceted case involving an underweight 6-month-old with health issues as well as domestic violence in the family.
The infant’s parents were sporadic in keeping doctor’s appointments, but due to Alejandre’s determination, vigilance and compassion the infant was hospitalized, gained weight and eventually underwent surgery or else the child might have died, according to MCSO.
And Alejandre went further, investigating reported domestic violence involving the parents and getting protection for an older child who’d been sheltered at one point.
Alejandre is MCSO’s Employee of the Month for April.
Nagy was off duty, working out at his apartment complex gym, when he spotted a motionless child in the pool and no adults in the vicinity. He ran out, dove in, brought the child to the pool deck and started CPR. He got bystanders to call 911 and continued CPR until EMS arrived. Together they expelled water from the child’s lungs and the child began breathing before being transported to the hospital.
Nagy is MCSO’s Deputy of the Month for April and also received MCSO’s Lifesaving Award.
· Doug and Joy McArthur are celebrating 40 years of marriage.
· A bow to several young congregants at St. Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church in Parrish who were honored for graduating from various schools.
They are Kalea Watts, Kayla Watts and Christian Dozier (Palmetto High), Laylah Zinnermon (Bradenton Christian), Kelvin Lyons (Spoto High), Latoya Lovett and Jahiem Gordon (St. Petersburg College), Shardai Sallye (Tallahassee Community College), Kenny Brown Jr. (College of Coastal Georgia), and Monica Brown (Florida State).
Shianne Simpson, beginning United Airlines flight attendant training, was also honored.
Dr. Fletcher Lawson is St. Mary’s Pastor. Annette Dozier and Cheryl James are the church education committee.
· And a team of Manatee Memorial Hospital’s critical care nurses recently attended The American Association of Critical Care Nurses Conference in Philadelphia. They are Registered Nurses Suzy Blatt, Jessa Lynn, Colleen Martin, Dori Miller and Lana Rencheli.
· Xtavia Bailey is 39. Again.
· So is Angel Colonneso.
· Deb Lilly, too.
· And Summer Smith-Pope.
· Hurray for Erin Spivey, Parrish Community High’s softball coach who added another award to the trophy case. Already named Class 5A Coach of the Year after her Bulls won the 2023 Class 5A state championship, Spivey was also voted Softball Coach of the Year in a poll conducted by the Florida Dairy Farmers.
Vin’s People runs Sundays. Email Vin Mannix at vinspeople@gmail.com. Or call 941-962-5944. Twitter: @vinmannix.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: VIN MANNIX: Manatee County Sheriff's Office honors lifesaving actions
