It was a joyful reunion when retired Santa Ana police officer Michael Buelna was able to meet the man he rescued as a newborn baby 25 years ago.
"I hoped that someday I would see him again," Buelna told ABC 7. Buelna found the baby when he was investigating an unrelated crime and heard the child crying in a nearby alley. Buelna cleared away the refuse and found the 4-hour-old newborn, still with his umbilical cord and covered in mucus. He took the baby from the alley and named him Adam.
“I pushed away some of the debris, the papers, I saw the baby, Adam, laying there. I remember looking at him, how tiny he was,” he said. “I noticed the umbilical cord and he was covered, he still had all the mucus and stuff and all the trash and gravel was sticking to him."
Buelna took the baby to nearby paramedics who made sure the child was saved. It wasn’t long before he was adopted into a new family. He was raised by adopted parents Elizabeth Barton and Daniel Fernandez, who would then bestow upon their new son the name of Robin Barton. He would grow up with lots of love for which he is extremely grateful.
“I had the best childhood I could’ve ever asked for. Really great, I was raised by a wonderful mother and father.”
Robin’s gratitude also extended to the retired officer and everyone else involved in his rescue.
“I’m extremely grateful, not just for him, but for his wife as well, and to everyone who was involved with me being saved that evening.”
His then 19-year-old biological mother, identified as Sarina Diaz, was arrested, convicted of child endangerment as well as attempted murder and was subsequently sentenced to three years in prison. Despite this, Robin is still eager to meet with her, saying that it would give him closure. He wants to tell her that he forgives her.
“I would like her to know that I’m not angry with her, I’m not upset, and I don’t blame her, and I do forgive her because she was a young woman in a very compromising position.”
See the emotional reunion of rescuer and rescued below: