‘I need help…my dad is trying to take me to Vegas,’ 12-year-old boy tells 911

(KTLA) – Three emergency dispatchers with the California Highway Patrol were able to help a 12-year-old boy after he called 911, fearing for his safety as his father allegedly drove erratically on the freeway.  

The quick-thinking boy, identified only as Ayden, called for help on Oct. 26 after his father picked him up unannounced from a birthday party and wanted to drive to Vegas, officials said.

“I need help…my dad is trying to take me to Vegas. He’s acting weird,” Ayden can be heard telling one of the 911 dispatchers over the phone.  

“Are you guys at a house or in front of a business?” the dispatcher is heard asking.  

“We’re in the freeway,” Ayden responded.  

The dispatchers, who were on the phone with the boy for more than an hour, told KTLA that he remained very calm, responsive and descriptive throughout the ordeal.  

“This was a 12-year-old boy and he’s calling on his own father,” said Alicia Villegas, one of the dispatchers who spoke with Ayden. “So, that’s really out of the ordinary. 

Police said they were having a hard time finding Ayden and his father in heavy traffic. At one point, a dispatcher suggested Ayden wave his hand out of the car window, which worked.  

Authorities located him and his father on the 15 Freeway near Baseline Road. His dad was taken into custody and charged with DUI and child endangerment.  

Ayden was safely returned home.