While Charles Ramsey has become an Internet phenomenon for his role in saving the three women abducted and allegedly raped for years in a Cleveland home, another hero’s efforts have passed by relatively unnoticed, ABC News Channel 5 reports.
Angel Cordero, who speaks only Spanish, told the ABC affiliate that he arrived at the scene first and he was the one to kick the door down, freeing Amanda Berry, who had been trapped inside for nearly 10 years.
“I helped her,” Cordero says in the newscast that aired Tuesday. “I was first.”
Cordero often visits the house across the street to have dinner, according to a report form CNN.
Reporter Stephanie Ramirez said Cleveland police brought Cordero to her for an interview, saying he had played a role in the rescue. She pointed out that Ramsey acknowledges that he was not alone, saying in now famous interviews things like “we can’t get in that way.”
With a mild-mannered demeanor and unable to speak English, it’s not surprising that the more flamboyant Ramsey got the lion’s share of the media attention. CNN's Maria Santana said Cordero was reluctant to give an interview.
But Cordero isn’t jealous, according to the News Channel 5 report.
“I did what had to be done,” Cordero said. "Imagine how her family feels today. They have their daughter safe."
Suspect Ariel Castro was charged Wednesday with kidnapping and raping Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. Berry was abducted the day before her 17th birthday in 2003, according to Reuters. DeJesus was kidnapped in 2004 at age 14 and Knight in 2002 at age 20.
(H/T: Latino Rebels)
Check out the video of Cordero’s interview above.
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