Mexican restaurant owner in California uses Heimlich maneuver to save choking customer

EL MONTE, Calif. (CBS, KYMA) - A quick-thinking restaurant owner from El Monte, California, was credited for saving a choking customer's life after she performed the Heimlich maneuver on him on May 31.

Maria Molina, the owner of the Mexican restaurant Carnitas y Chicharrones "El Gallo," told KABC she was alerted to someone choking outside her restaurant and needed water.

After seeing that water was not helping, she attempted the Heimlich maneuver a few times and successfully dislodged the food that was stuck.

The customer thanked Molina for saving his life.

Security footage shared by the restaurant showed the moment the man began choking and Molina stepped in to perform the maneuver.

"He was choking on food, so I just reacted," she told KABC. "It was so scary. It was really scary, so I just knew I had to do something."