Joe Jimenez doesn’t feel like a hero.  But that’s exactly what the Georgetown Police are calling him for stopping to rescue a two-year-old boy who was walking along the frontage road of Interstate 35 in Georgetown around 1 a.m. Friday.

Jimenez was on his way home when he says he saw a tiny silhouette.  The new dad said that’s when his fatherly instincts kicked in.

“I started thinking that could have been my son also on the side of the road.  I just came to a stop as quick as I could so that I could back up because I was thinking the little boy was going to run across the highway again and maybe get hit by a car.  I didn't even think twice to even stop,” said Jimenez.

Jimenez says the two-year-old was in his pajamas and holding onto the guardrail when he was able to coax him to safety.   He then drove to a nearby gas station where he called police.

Officers went door-to-door where the boy was found, hoping to find his parents.

Finally around 8 a.m., six hours into the search, the parents called police.  They live at the Water’s Edge Apartments, half-a-mile from where the little boy was found.  It’s not clear how he got out.  But after talking to the parents, police decided not to file any charges.  The parents did release a statement:  “I cannot describe how it felt to walk into our son’s room this morning and see an empty bed.  Today has been very emotional and we’re completely exhausted.  We are so lucky that we have a happy ending today …”

The boy remains in the custody of Child Protective Services.  They will do a full investigation before returning the child to his parents.