A 5-year-old Vacaville boy named Golden found his mother unconscious at their home and did exactly what she had taught him to do: he dialed 911. The call reached the City of Vacaville Communications Center, where dispatcher Mayra Berumen-Perez picked up, asked Golden simple questions, and kept him calm until help was on the way.
The Vacaville Police Department shared the story in a Facebook reel titled “A Golden Lesson”, detailing how Golden’s mother, Jess Espinoza, had suffered an episode of syncope. Espinoza was taken to the hospital as a precaution, according to the department’s post. Berumen-Perez said that knowing a caller’s location allows her to send the exact help that’s needed, a detail that mattered as she worked to pinpoint where Golden and his mother were.
Espinoza had taught her son how to call 911 through a song, a lesson that Golden put to use the moment he realized something was wrong. Golden helped protect not only his mother but his younger siblings as well while Berumen-Perez stayed on the line, according to the department’s account. Espinoza said she was proud that Golden used the information she had given him to call for help and support her.
A Dispatcher With a Track Record of Calm Under Pressure
Berumen-Perez’s handling of the call fits a pattern recognized well before this incident. In 2023, she was named Vacaville’s Fire Dispatcher of the Year, an honor reported by The Reporter. That same report described the broader role dispatchers play in emergencies, noting there’s a team working behind every call, researching, keeping a caller calm, and sending police, fire and other services as needed.
Berumen-Perez also used the moment as a teaching opportunity for other families, saying people should teach their children to dial 911 and know how to provide their address. It’s a simple piece of guidance that, in Golden’s case, appears to have made a real difference in how quickly and clearly he was able to communicate with dispatch.
Golden Meets the Voice That Helped Him
After the incident, Golden and his family visited the Vacaville Police Department, where Golden finally met Berumen-Perez in person, the dispatcher whose voice had guided him through one of the most frightening moments of his young life. The reunion capped off a story the department chose to spotlight publicly, framing it as a lesson in preparation as much as a moment of relief.
Similar stories of young children successfully calling 911 during family emergencies have surfaced elsewhere in past years, including a New Jersey case involving a 4-year-old reported by ABC7 News and a Texas case involving a 3-year-old covered by ABC News. Those incidents, like Golden’s, underscore how early lessons about emergency calls can matter in moments no parent can predict.
