Striking video of a man being freed by emergency responders after getting stuck between two buildings in downtown Salinas has been released by local authorities.
The man, Isaac Valencia, 29, was rescued Sunday morning after falling into a void between Brewjee and Maya Cinemas sometime Saturday night.
Valencia, who was later booked into Monterey County Jail on suspicion of burglary, told rescuers he had been stuck for about 10 hours, according to Salinas Police Department officials.
“Not every rescue starts with lights and sirens,” Salinas Police Department stated in a social media post. “Sometimes it starts with a couple graveyard officers trying to get coffee before ending their shift.”
Salinas police officers were inside the Brewjee coffee shop downtown Sunday morning when they “heard faint calls for help coming from somewhere nearby.” The sounds were difficult for officers to pinpoint, the post continued, but coffee shop employees mentioned they “heard something similar earlier” before the sounds suddenly stopped.
After further investigation, including checking nearby officers in Maya Cinemas, the officers realized the yelling was coming from inside the wall between the coffee shop and the theater. When the officers knocked on the wall, they got a knock back.
That is when first responders discovered it was not the building making noise, but Valencia trapped inside the wall.
Valencia had fallen from the roof of Maya Cinemas near the lettering, reported KSBW, and slid down at least 22 feet.
Salinas Fire Department responded Sunday morning and initially cut into Brewjee’s wall, only to find another layer of cinder block and cement behind it, Salinas Police Department officials said. Firefighters had to cut open a large section of the adjoining wall along Main Street to free Valencia. The rescue operation took nearly three hours to complete.
After being medically evaluated, Valencia was arrested on suspicion of burglary and booked into Monterey County Jail. His bail was set at $10,000.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Man stuck between Salinas buildings for 10 hours is rescued, arrested
Reporting by Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
