CHILD, SUICIDAL MOM GRABBED BY OFFICERS.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Staff Writer

VAN NUYS - Four Los Angeles police officers are being hailed as heroes for saving a mother from jumping out a third-story apartment house window Thursday with her 2-year-old daughter.

``Their quick actions saved two lives,'' said Lt. William Guerrero of the Los Angeles Police Department.

``I just felt like we did our job,'' said Officer Bryan Sudbery, as he helped the other officers baby-sit the unharmed child until child protective services workers took custody.

The despondent 18-year-old mother, whose identity police withheld, told her mother she wanted to commit suicide as she sat near an open window with the toddler in her arms, said Lt. William Guerrero of the LAPD's Van Nuys Division.

Officer J.R. Runyon was one of the four who went to the residence in the 14000 block of Vanowen Street around noon.

``We could hear the woman saying, 'I just want to jump,' '' he said. ``Based on that statement, we knew we had to get in there quickly.''

Coincidentally, the officers had just finished a refresher lesson about two hours earlier in dealing with distress calls, and the example used was an attempted-suicide call, Runyon said.

``Recalling what we discussed earlier, we quickly formulated a plan,'' said Runyon.

The officers kicked in the door, and Runyon rushed in to pluck the child from the living room floor next to her mother, about 5 feet from the open window.

Sudbery helped Officers Anthony Cabunoc and Edward Moreno detain the mother, who was crying and hysterical, Sudbery said.