It was just another night shift for Officer Daniel Reyes when the call came in — a young child, barely able to speak through sobs, was on the line asking for help. The dispatcher tried to stay calm and determine the nature of the emergency, but it quickly became clear that this wasn’t a standard 911 call.
The boy, no older than six or seven, said he was home alone with his baby sister and didn’t know where his mom was. He couldn’t reach her phone, and they were out of food. He was scared, hungry, and crying uncontrollably.
Reyes, realizing how serious the situation was, sprang into action. He stayed on the line with the boy the entire time, talking him through what to do — telling him to lock the door, find a safe place to wait, and keep his little sister calm. Meanwhile, dispatchers worked to locate the address and send backup.
But what happened next went beyond duty.
As soon as Reyes arrived at the scene, he found the children exactly where the boy had said they’d be — sitting by the window, waiting. Their mother had left hours ago and hadn’t returned. There was no sign of neglect or abuse, just a desperate situation.
What shocked everyone even more was what Reyes did after making sure the kids were safe.
He stayed.
Instead of handing them over and leaving, he sat with them, played games, made sandwiches, and even gave them piggyback rides until their mother finally returned — tearfully apologizing and thanking him for being there when she couldn’t be.
The whole station later watched the bodycam footage from that night. And not a single person left dry-eyed.