Hero cop showed
true grace under fire

By Lauren Fritsky
Times Staff Writer

Mark Mroz knew he needed to fill some big shoes when he replaced beloved Kevin Corr as the community relations officer for the 2nd Police District.
A mere eight months into his position, Mroz has already left some huge footprints in the hearts of one local family that credits him with saving a toddler’s life.
On July 27, the Olibrice family burst through the door of 2nd district headquarters at Harbison Avenue and Levick Street carrying the limp body of 23-month-old Kinji Dely. The boy was struggling to breathe and foaming at the mouth.
Mroz, who entered the force 11 years ago, heard the commotion from his office and thought some sort of scuffle had ensued.
But when he emerged and saw that the screams came from a distraught uncle and mother watching a little boy fight for his life, Mroz immediately dropped to his knees to administer CPR to Kinji.
Two things ran through Mroz’s mind: the image of his 6-year-old daughter, Rachel, and the memory of a little girl hit by a car that he had tried to save but couldn’t.
"It was the flashback to ten years ago," said Mroz, 39. "The worst feeling in the world is telling a parent their child died."
Determined not to relive that feeling, Mroz worked on Kinji as Officer Stephanie Ahrndt of the victims’ assistance unit jumped in to take the boy’s pulse. They waited for an ambulance to arrive, but when it did, medics thought the boy was still at his Everett Street residence and passed in one door of the station and right back out the other.
"My whole body just dropped," Mroz said. "I put him on the ground and started going again. I heard the mom screaming in the background."
Mroz revived Kinji twice during the eight minutes that passed between the time the Olibrice family carried him into the station and when the rescue squad finally came back. The boy stopped breathing once more before he arrived at the hospital, Mroz said.
"It was really touch-and-go scary there," said Ahrndt.
Mroz said that Kinji’s mom, Christiana Olibrice, works in the health-care field, but said she froze when her son stopped breathing.
"She said, ‘I forgot everything. I just went numb,’" Mroz said. "I wonder if it was my own child if I would have been calm."
Kinji was taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children where he was treated and released that night, Mroz said. The officer learned that the boy had suffered a seizure prior to being brought into the station. The incident could have been related to a minor bus accident that Kinji, who now takes medication to prevent future episodes, experienced about a year ago.
Calls to the Olibrice family were not returned as the Times went to press.
Mroz credits Kinji’s uncle, Jasmin Olibrice, with bringing Kinji into the station and recommends that all parents consider learning CPR. Philadelphia police officers receive the training every year.
Mroz’s sergeant nominated him for a heroism commendation, and state Rep. George Kenney (R-170th dist.) and state Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-2nd dist.) plan to give him citations for his deed.
But for Mroz, feeling Kinji’s small, healthy arms wrap around his neck two days after the incident meant more than getting formal recognition.
"One of the greatest days of my career was that day," Mroz said. "It definitely was an awesome feeling." ••
Reporter Lauren Fritsky can be reached at 215-354-3038 or lfritsky@phillynews.com