Davie community honors girl who helped who was dropped off at the wrong bus stop

Davie, Florida – A little girl from Davie helped a boy find his way back to his family after, he was dropped off at the wrong bus stop.

The community decided resident Gianna Hancock deserved some recognition.

“We are all not surprised that we have even little heroes here in our community,” resident Hilda Arias said. “You stepped up to lend a helping hand when you saw that a little boy needed your help.”

That little boy, Santiago Rodriguez, is 7 years old, and two weeks ago, during the first week of school, he was left at the wrong bus stop at Rexmere Village — more than two miles away from his home. “He told me that the driver told him to get off the bus,” Patricia Rodriguez, Santiago’s mother, said. “He said that he told the driver, ‘No, this is not my stop.’” “I just saw another complex, and all the houses were white, and mine is brown,” Santiago said.

According to Gianna, she knew something was wrong because she did not recognize him, so she walked up to Santiago and asked if he was lost. “He was walking around, he got off at the wrong bus stop, so we went to the front office, and they called the school,” Gianna said. “His parents were at the school, and then, his parents drove to the front office and picked him up.”

Rodriguez said she was afraid but thankful Gianna helped out her son — and so were residents at Rexmere Village. “To express our gratitude, we are awarding you with a $500 gift toward your college tuition,” Arias said.

“Thank you so much for giving my mommy the $500 check,” Gianna said. “I was confused why they would do that because I would think if anybody saw him, they would help because that’s what people should do.”

“I’m very surprised,” Frances Hancock, Gianna’s mother, said. “Truly, I mean, I want my kids to do the right thing for the right reasons, so I’m glad she did it because she wanted to. We had no idea it would turn into this.”

Gianna said she wishes she could give the money to her mom to help with house repairs.