Teen saves little cheerleader from heartbreak

WOAI – SAN ANTONIO (WOAI) -A San Antonio, Texas family is thanking a young man for saving a little girl from a heartbreaking moment.

Addie Rodriguez, 9, was performing at a football game at Central Catholic High School when the other cheerleaders on her squad were joined by their fathers and lifted onto their shoulders.

But Addie's father wasn't there. He'd deployed for training in California the previous day, and her mother had missed the memo about the parent day ceremony.

"It was really heartbreaking to see your daughter standing out there being the only one without their father, knowing why he's away. It's not just an absentee parent. He's serving our country," said Alexis Perry-Rodriguez, Addie's mom.

Then, someone rushed toward Addie. That someone was Matthew Garcia, a senior at Central Catholic High School.

"I ran down from the bleachers right here," he said, "and I just hopped the fence, and I went over, and I kneeled down, I talked to her and I said, 'Are you OK?'"

Then Matthew lifted Addie onto his shoulders.