Sleepy Hollow Honors Cops, Baby Born in Police Car

SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y. – A baby boy born in the back of a police car earlier this month and the two officers who assisted in his delivery were honored Tuesday night at the Sleepy Hollow Board of Trustees meeting.

“We get to start off tonight with, for us, a fun thing,” Mayor Ken Wray said. “A happy thing, which is appropriate for the season.”

Prince Luisi Mehki Lopez was born on Dec. 9 weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces. His mother, Misty Mantey, went into labor around 1:30 a.m.

Sleepy Hollow police officers Wendy Yancey and Steven Dougherty arrived at Mantey's apartment building to help her and the Sleepy Hollow Ambulance Corps get to the hospital. Mantey began giving birth in a police car before the ambulance had arrived.

“The call was perhaps a little late and things went a little quicker than everybody was expecting,” Wray said, later noting that “kids always show up at inappropriate times.”

Wray and the rest of the village board smiled as they gave thanks to the police department for its quick action.

“We don't get to acknowledge the police department often enough and we deeply appreciate what you guys do for us,” Wray said.

Mantey accepted a plaque from Wray while holding her son in her arms. Yancey and Dougherty shook hands with Wray while Mantey thanked them for their help.

“Thank you so much, officers—more than ever,” she said.

Wray proclaimed Dec. 9, 2011 as Prince Luisi Mehki Lopez day in honor of his birth.

“In the end, the kid is here and that you're both healthy,” Wray told Mantey. He told officers Yancey and Dougherty to look forward to a visit from Lopez when he grows up.

“Someday Prince is going to be old enough to read this, and hopefully at some point in the future he's going to come talk to you guys and say 'Thanks.'”

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