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Idaho woman saving child from burning truck threatened with criminal charges

Posted at 8:21 PM, Sep 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-29 12:31:52-04

Tequila Isaacson and her boyfriend had just purchased a new truck and were headed back to Idaho from Washington when they stopped at the Snoqualmie pass rest stop in Washington. Just as they were getting out another truck carrying a family pulled in. 

"There is just this loud 'wooosh' you know that backdraft, you open your wood stove noise and we turn around real quick and the flames are just shooting up between the cab and the bed of the truck," Isaacson said.

The other truck had caught fire with a child inside. 

"The parents are trying to get the kid out of the truck and my boyfriend Taylor is calling 911 and I am like I'm going to find a fire extinguisher," said Isaacson.

Isaacson began searching but she said there was no fire extinguisher in sight until she spotted on mounted to the door frame inside of a coffee shop connected to the rest stop. She tried opening the door, but it was locked.

Isaacson then made the split-second decision to bust the glass door to grab the extinguisher. Moments later the fire was out and the little boy was safe from harm's way.

Then, Isaacson said fire crews showed up along with a woman from the Department of Transportation. Isaacson said she told them how she broke the glass. 

"She was like 'so we break glass instead of waiting for the fire department?'  There was a child in the truck," said Isaacson.

She then said she was instructed to wait for the police to come, so she did. Once they showed up a fire chief went over to talk to the officer. Isaacson said she immediately heard the officer bring up the broken door.

"We could hear the officer say whoever did it better be ready to pay for it right now or they are going to jail for burglary," said Isaacson.

Then the officer walked over to Isaacson who began to explain the situation. He told her they would be sending her a bill, and she had to pay it or be charged with burglary.

"No good deed goes unpunished," said Isaacson.

Washington State Patrol said so far no charges have been filed. They said they will be reviewing the way the case was handled and they are grateful for Isaacson's courageous effort to help save the child.