Inmate saves infant from locked SUV using his car theft skills

NEW PORT RICHEY, Florida (KTRK) -- A group of deputies and some unlikely good Samaritans rushed to help save a 1-year-old locked in a SUV.

The mother of the infant says her husband strapped their daughter into a car seat and tossed the keys in the front seat. When he closed the back door, he realized the Chevy Tahoe was locked.

Several inmates were repairing medians nearby when they rushed to help.

One inmate used a clothes hanger to unlock the door within minutes. Sheriff Chris Nocco admits it was a unique situation, allowing an inmate to use his skill set to break into a car for the right reasons.

"They know they made bad mistakes, bad choices, but they want to do the right thing in life," Nocco said.

The child was not hurt.

The mother says she is grateful for everyone involved and hopes to learn the identity of those inmates so she can contribute to their commissary accounts.