‘Do you need help?’ Alert waitress saves abused boy, police say

"She had an 11-year-old boy sitting at one of her tables at Mrs. Potato Resturant in Orlando, Florida, who was not allowed to order anything to eat. She then noticed the preteen had bruises on his arms and face."

"That’s when waitress Flavaine Carvalho jumped into action, writing “Do you need help?” on a piece of paper and holding up so his parents couldn’t see, WFTV reported."

"She told police she tried three times before the boy signaled “yes” to her.

Carvalho called the police who arrested the boy’s stepfather, Timothy Wilson II, on one count of third-degree child abuse, WFTV reported."

"The boy’s mother, Kristen Swann, told them she knew about the abuse but did not get medical care for her son, WFTV reported.

She has been charged with two counts of child neglect."