Merry Christmas!
Via Daily Mail:
Tampa police have taken on the role of Santa and delivered gifts to two children after thieves broke into their home and stole their presents.
When single mother Melody Russell returned from work the day before Christmas Eve, she found her back door open and her children’s presents – and 12-week-old puppy – gone.
Police haven’t been able to find Honey the puppy yet, but about 20 officers and dispatchers clubbed together to replace the missing gifts.
The replacement gifts for Marissa, 7, and Marcus, 5, were delivered on Christmas Eve in a move that left 33-year-old Ms Russell overwhelmed.
‘I couldn’t stop smiling. I didn’t have words,’ she told the Tampa Bay Times.
District supervisor Lieutenant Yvette Flynn said she was proud of her team’s efforts.
‘We get really familiar with the community. These are our families and children out there,’ she said. The last thing in the world we want is to have one of our families burglarized at Christmas and for kids to go without gifts. The officers take it to heart.’