NYPD recruit inspired by hero Queens sergeant who saved his sister’s life

An NYPD enlistee graduating the Police Academy Thursday knew helium wanted to beryllium a constabulary serviceman astatine property 9 — ever since helium witnessed a bull prevention his sister’s beingness and aboriginal go a guardian angel for his full family.

On March 12, 1998, Xavier Duran was crossing 36th Ave. successful Corona, Queens, with his mother, Ana, brother, Luiny, and sister, Jeannette, erstwhile a Mistic Iced Tea transportation motortruck plowed into them, crushing his sister’s leg.

A 2nd later, NYPD Sgt. Lino Minetto and his spouse Police Officer Lisa Cordero arrived astatine the scene, grabbed Jeannette and enactment her successful the backmost of their patrol car earlier an ambulance could arrive.

Minetto cradled Jeannette successful his arms, keeping the tot awake by asking her however aged she was and her favourite colour arsenic his spouse raced them to Elmhurst Hospital Center — redeeming the child’s life.

NYPD Police Officer Lisa Cordero, left, and Sgt. Lino Minetto of the NYPD 115th Precinct are pictured aft they helped prevention Xavier Duran’s critically injured young sister connected March 12, 1998. (John Roca for New York Daily News)

“I wanted to bash what helium did for my family,” Duran said astir Minetto, who Jeannette affectionally calls “uncle.”

“I wanted to bash that to different household — to marque a change, marque a difference,” the 35-year-old rookie reflected astir the now-retired sergeant’s heroic save.

Minetto, who near the section successful 2006, volition beryllium joining Duran’s household astatine Madison Square Garden Thursday erstwhile Xavier graduates with 588 of his chap recruits.

Thursday’s graduating class volition see 454 men and 154 women. Out of that number, 137 were calved successful different country, NYPD officials said.

When helium joined the NYPD, Duran was asked to constitute an effort — known arsenic a “49” successful bull talk — astir wherefore helium wanted to go a cop. He didn’t person to deliberation twice, helium said.

“He fundamentally saved us,” Duran said. “I said, I had to bash the aforesaid for idiosyncratic else, and I’m going to bash it.”

Police Sgt. Lino Minetto with Jeannette Duran, 7, and her mother, Anna, connected May 15, 1999. (Jennifer Altman for New York Daily News)

Minetto and Cordero were conscionable 3 blocks distant when the telephone came over astir the 8:30 a.m. accident.

“I saw the gravity of the situation,” Minetto said, “and decided to fundamentally scoop her up, propulsion her successful a integrative broad we had and instrumentality her to the infirmary due to the fact that she was bleeding profusely.”

The doctors astatine Elmhurst Hospital yet had to amputate Jeannette’s leg, but the small miss lived and thrived contempt each the likelihood against her, Minetto said.

“My study was going to accidental [she] was apt to die,” Minetto recalled. “That’s what we expected. But [then] I saw implicit a twelve household members successful the country adjacent doorway each connected their hands and knees each praying. Between the doctors and powerfulness of supplication and the unthinkable spot of this young lady, that’s what saved her. I conscionable got her determination speedy capable truthful that could happen.”

From left, NYPD postgraduate Xavier Duran, Jeannette Payamps and retired NYPD Officer Lino Minetto astatine the NYPD Police Academy successful Queens connected Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News)

Investigators aboriginal determined that the clang was caused by dense prima glare temporarily blinding the driver arsenic helium made a crook astatine the intersection. The driver, who remained astatine the country and called 911, was deed with respective summonses, but ne'er charged criminally.

As Jeannette recovered, Minetto, who besides grew up successful Corona, was rapidly adopted by Duran’s family. A fewer months later, erstwhile helium received $250 from the New York State Police Surgeon’s Life Saving Award successful appreciation for his quick-thinking save, helium utilized it to commencement a fundraising effort to rise wealth for Jeannette’s aesculapian attraction and schooling.

“Minetto is simply a hero, but not the benignant easy satisfied,” the Daily News wrote astatine the time. “He doesn’t privation praise arsenic overmuch arsenic imitation. He has called connected New Yorkers to unfastened their wallets and lucifer the wealth helium has donated.”

A clipping from the New York Daily News aft the March 1998 incident.

The humble Minetto remembers however bully it felt watching implicit strangers locomotion into the 105th Precinct stationhouse successful Queens and “give america $50 oregon immoderate they could to the fund.”

“I conscionable did what anybody would bash and what everyone should do,” helium said astir his fundraising efforts.

Over the years, Minetto would amusement up astatine the Duran location and spot Jeannette, who was fitted with a prosthetic leg, proceed to grow. She ne'er fto her handicap halt her arsenic she swam, rollerbladed and rode her motorcycle astir the neighborhood.

“I came by to accidental hullo 1 clip and she was connected roller skates,” Minetto remembered. “The adjacent clip I saw her she was up successful a tree.”

Minetto, whose ain girl was astir Jeannette’s property astatine the clip of the accident, felt an instant transportation with the kid helium cradled successful his arms during that breakneck contention to the hospital.

“There was a juxtaposition with my girl and [Jeannette] astatine the accident,” helium remembered. “I did consciousness I was looking astatine my girl for a little second.”

From left, Luiny Duran, Jeannette Payamps, NYPD grad Xavier Duran and retired NYPD Officer Lino Minetto. (Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News)

Jeannette, present 32, remembers Minetto trying to support her awake successful the backmost of the squad car and being a beingness during her recovery. Minetto attended her people schoolhouse graduation, saccharine 16 party, precocious schoolhouse graduation and her wedding, wherever hubby Andy Payamps, 35, met the household leader for the archetypal time.

“I was tense the time of the wedding but much tense to conscionable him due to the fact that I wanted his approval,” Payamps said. “Because of him, she’s here.”

Jeannette credits Minetto for redeeming her. Meanwhile, her close-knit household helped, arsenic she enactment it, “make maine consciousness similar thing has changed.”

Jeannette Payamps, left, and retired NYPD Officer Lino Minetto astatine the NYPD Police Academy successful Queens. (Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News)

“My beingness has been normal. They’ve made it arsenic mean arsenic possible,” she said of her parents and siblings. “They person made maine consciousness similar I had nary limits. My parent ever pushed maine not to fto anybody archer maine that I couldn’t bash something.”

When Xavier said helium planned to be the Police Academy, neither Jeannette nor the remainder of her household were amazed astatine the news.

“He has ever been the protector of the family,” she said of her older brother. “He’s ever the 1 looking retired for us. I retrieve america being precise young and him saying helium wanted to go a constabulary officer.”

NYPD grad Xavier Duran was inspired to articulation the unit aft watching Officer Lino Minetto assistance prevention his critically injured small sister erstwhile they were kids. (Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News)

Two weeks ago, Jeannette reached retired to Minetto and asked him to be her brother’s graduation.

“He’s successful his 30s, I said, ‘What graduation?'” helium recalled. “They said, ‘The Police Academy.’ I said, ‘What?’

“It was a bully surprise,” helium said, smiling.