There is one Manteca family today that’s counting their blessings and thankful that men and women like Brett Delgado are willing to step up to serve their communities as a peace officer.

Delgado was dispatched Sept. 10 to a home where the caller said a 1 year-old boy had stopped breathing. Delgado, when he arrived, found the child had no pulse and was not breathing. He began CPR — including chest compressions — for two minutes before paramedics arrived and took over.

The young boy was transported to a hospital and regained a pulse. He is celebrating Thanksgiving today with his grateful family.

Police Chief Jodie Estarziau said Delgado didn’t mention to anyone when he returned to the department at the end of his shift exactly how pivotal his actions were in helping save a child’s life.

That became clear days later when the Manteca Police Department received a letter from the young boy’s sister thanking the officer “for saving my brother’s life.”

Estarziau said there is no doubt in her mind — or that of Delgado’s fellow officers — that Delgado saved the young boy’s life.

“As an officer, that is one of the calls — especially if you have children — that you don’t wasn’t to get,” Delgado told those gathered for the Tuesday City Council meeting where he was presented the Manteca Life Saving Award by Chief Estarziau.

He modestly noted he did nothing particularly special except to do what he was trained to do.

From his perspective that may be true, but there is something special about the overwhelming number of men and women in law enforcement that serve with integrity, dedication, and risking life and limb to keep our communities safe.

Delgado’s actions is part of a long list of things peace officers do every day that go unheralded because human nature dwells on the bad and the abnormal. For every questionable action of an officer or renegade law enforcement official there are easily 10,000 or more that serve with honor.

Ben Cantu now leads

DeBrum by 792 votes

in Manteca mayor race

The vote counting of ballots cast in the Nov. 6 election in San Joaquin County should be wrapped up by the first week in December.

Wednesday’s latest update of the counting process had Ban Cantu increasing his lead over incumbent Mayor Steve DeBrum by three votes.  Cantu now has a 792 vote margin.

David Breitenbucher increased his margin to 496, a gain of two votes over the previous count update on Monday over Mike Morowit to increase his hold on one of two council seats up for grabs.

Jose Nuno still trails Morowit by 67 votes in the race for the second council seat.

There are reportedly less than 18,000 ballots left to count that were either mailed-in, dropped off at polling places, or are provisional ballots. They must all have their signatures verified before they can be counted. There is no way of knowing how many of the outstanding ballots were cast in Manteca until signatures are verified and ballots counted.

Cantu has declined to make a declaration until DeBrum does.

DeBrum said he wants to wait until the remaining ballots are counted although he has noted “the trend isn’t going our way.”

The next ballot count update is planned on Monday by the San Joaquin County Elections Department.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com