Sanford Police Dept./WKMG News 6 ClickOrlandoSome pizza places promise to deliver in 30 minutes or less but apparently that just wasn’t fast enough for a five-year-old Florida boy, who determined his need for cheese was an emergency and called 911 to place an order.
Manny Beshara made the call last week when his older sister, Madonna, left the room momentarily to make him a bowl of cereal.
However, the five-year-old clearly wasn’t in the mood for plain old cereal as when Madonna returned she found her mischievous younger brother on the phone.
In 911 audio released to ClickOrlando.com, Manny could be heard telling the dispatcher ‘I want you to bring me a pizza please’. After realising her brother had called 911, Madonna panicked and hung up.
The 15-year-old recalled:
Two seconds later I answered [the phone and it] was the sheriff’s department. I was like, ‘oh God, what did he do.’
Three officers followed up on the call, responsibly making sure ‘I want you to bring me a pizza please’ wasn’t code for ‘help’, but after confirming everything was fine they fulfilled Manny’s request and brought him a large pizza.
Officers Morales, Mejia, and Hernandez responded to a home on Key Haven Dr., for a well-being check on a 911 call made…
Posted by Sanford Police Department on Friday, August 2, 2019
A photo of the hungry youngster and the three officers was shared to Sanford Police Department’s Facebook page, alongside a caption explaining the police took the opportunity to tell Manny that no matter how much you might be craving pizza, 911 is not the number to call.
The post read:
Officers Morales, Mejia, and Hernandez responded to a home on Key Haven Dr., for a well-being check on a 911 call made by a juvenile.
While officers were on their way, dispatch informed them that the child told them he was hungry and wanted to order pizza.
PixabayThe caption went on:
After arriving on scene, officers met the young boy and his older sister. She told officers they were fine and her brother had grabbed the phone without her knowledge.
Officers used it as an opportunity to teach about the proper use of 911, then went and bought a large box of pizza and personally delivered it.
On Monday, Manny, his two sisters and his mother delivered three pizzas to the police department to thank them for the caring way they handled the situation.
PixabaySanford Police Chief Cecil E. Smith said:
I think the little man understands now what 911 is about. Having the officers go out and have that life experience with the young man — that is outstanding.
Of course, it’s important not to call the emergency number unless it really is an emergency but I’m glad Manny got his pizza in the end!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.