A quick-thinking waitress saved a child abuse victim by secretly showing him a sign reading "do you need help?" and calling the police.
Flaviane Carvalho was working at her restaurant Mrs Potato in Orange County, Orlando, Florida when the family-of-four came in for a meal.
The server noticed that the 11-year-old boy was covered in bruises and said he appeared "secluded" from the rest of the group, according to the Mirror.
She also realised that he was the only one not eating - with the adults telling her that the child would have something later at home when she questioned why no food had been ordered for him.
Flaviane added: "I could see he had a big scratch between his eyebrows.
"Couple of minutes later, I saw a bruise on the side of his eye. So I felt there was something really wrong."
Refusing to ignore the signs of abuse, Flaviane quickly flashed him a handwritten sign reading: "Do you need help?" before the boy gently nodded and she immediately called 911.
Flaviane told NBC "I was used like a tool from God to help him.
"We need to pay attention for the ones that are in need, and step forward to do something to change the situation."
Police later learned that the boy’s stepfather, Timothy Lee Wilson, had tortured the child, punishing him with military-style exercises, hanging him upside down, isolating and starving him for days.
Officers recovered multiple items used as weapons to punish the minor - including a bent metal pole, a wooden broom, a dolly cart, handcuffs, and ratchet straps.
On Monday, Wilson was found guilty of two counts of false imprisonment of a child under 13, three counts of aggravated child abuse with a weapon, four counts of aggravated child abuse, and one count of child neglect.
He will be sentenced on August 19.
The boy’s mother and Wilson’s wife, Kristen Swann, also reportedly admitted to police knowing about the abuse and failing to secure medical care for him. She was arrested and charged with two counts of child neglect.
Praising Flaviane's quick-thinking, Orlando police chief Orlando Rolon had said last year: "We probably would’ve been talking about a potential homicide investigation if she had not intervened when she did.
"We firmly believe that without her asking him if he needed help and calling 911, he would have gone even longer without eating or drinking and continuing to be tortured at the hands of Mr Wilson.
“Had she not said anything, I believe law enforcement and the child protection team thought he probably could have died.”
Flaviane's boss Rafaela Cabede set up a GoFundMe page to “support and reward our hero”.
It has now passed the original target of $10,000 and has so far received $46,710 from 1,400 donors.
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