wraggster
August 10th, 2008, 01:47
Juan Martinez thought he was going to the Adams County Sheriff's Office substation for a tour.
While he was there, the 8-year-old met a police dog and was pretty sure that was the highlight of his day.
Imagine how excited he was when a real-life sheriff walked into the room and told Juan he'd be going home with a new Sony PSP game system and 12 video games to play on it.
A huge grin spread across Juan's face.
Adams County sheriff's deputies pooled their money to buy the device after Juan's was stolen July 31.
Deputy Michael Robbins was matter-of-fact about why he spearheaded efforts to do something nice for a boy he'd never met before.
"He's just a little kid. I don't like bullies," Robbins said. "That's what it seemed like to me, one older kid picking on a little kid.
"We couldn't let the bad guys win."
Police said Juan was visiting a relative's apartment and playing his PSP in a first-floor hallway when Dominic Villanueba, 19, asked the boy to show him how the game worked.
That's when Villanueba took the game and wouldn't return it, police say.
Juan's mother called authorities, but when deputies arrived at Villanueba's apartment, he told them the game "was under my bed, but it's not there anymore."
Villanueba was arrested and accused of theft, but the game system was gone.
Juan said he had played the game every day and losing it made him sad. He has a heart defect and is on the waiting list for a transplant.
Robbins figured he could put a grin back on Juan's face by replacing the system. Other deputies whipped out their wallets to help.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/07/deputies-give-boy-game-console-after-his-stolen/
While he was there, the 8-year-old met a police dog and was pretty sure that was the highlight of his day.
Imagine how excited he was when a real-life sheriff walked into the room and told Juan he'd be going home with a new Sony PSP game system and 12 video games to play on it.
A huge grin spread across Juan's face.
Adams County sheriff's deputies pooled their money to buy the device after Juan's was stolen July 31.
Deputy Michael Robbins was matter-of-fact about why he spearheaded efforts to do something nice for a boy he'd never met before.
"He's just a little kid. I don't like bullies," Robbins said. "That's what it seemed like to me, one older kid picking on a little kid.
"We couldn't let the bad guys win."
Police said Juan was visiting a relative's apartment and playing his PSP in a first-floor hallway when Dominic Villanueba, 19, asked the boy to show him how the game worked.
That's when Villanueba took the game and wouldn't return it, police say.
Juan's mother called authorities, but when deputies arrived at Villanueba's apartment, he told them the game "was under my bed, but it's not there anymore."
Villanueba was arrested and accused of theft, but the game system was gone.
Juan said he had played the game every day and losing it made him sad. He has a heart defect and is on the waiting list for a transplant.
Robbins figured he could put a grin back on Juan's face by replacing the system. Other deputies whipped out their wallets to help.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/07/deputies-give-boy-game-console-after-his-stolen/