Louis Hicks, a World War II veteran had to call 911 after he suspected burglary at his place. While he was out grocery shopping, someone stole his bag of tools.
When the police arrived and the cops scanned the whole place, they were shocked to see the man’s kitchen. They had to act immediately until it wasn't too late.
A Lone Ranger
Louis used to live all alone in his home. He had a family once but his wife died sometime back and she was all that he had. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any children.
It meant that Louis had to take care of himself, even at such an age. Although he was physically fit, he was about to discover something he wouldn't be able to cope with.
Noticed Something Odd
Since the old veteran was all by himself now, he used to go grocery shopping alone. One day when he returned home after purchasing essentials, he noticed something odd.
The main door of his house was slammed open with force and Hicks knew at this very moment that something was terribly wrong. When he entered his home, he couldn’t help but notice that some things weren’t at the place he left them at.
Burglary at His Place
Hicks then started scanning his entire place. His eyes grew wide with terror when he realized that his toolbox was missing.
Since the invader couldn’t find anything precious and worth taking in Louis’s house, he must have decided to take the toolbox instead. It was given to him as a birthday present by his wife and needless to say, it meant a great deal to him.
Hicks Called 911
Although he was taken aback by this burglary, he didn’t panic and did something that any rational person would do in this case. Hicks called 911 and informed the authorities about the crime.
He got an assurance from the other end that police would soon arrive at his place. In the meantime, Hicks scanned his home to find out whether the thief had taken something else too, apart from the toolbox.
Police Arrives At The Scene
To complete a report, Officer Chasity Salazar was sent to the scene. She had no idea that the call would take a turn after she entered the residence. She greeted Hicks and learned from him the complete incident.
Hicks told her about the burglary and requested her to find the culprit soon. Salazar took the old man’s advice and reaffirmed to him that the police will get to the bottom of the issue.
Thorough Scanning
After reassuring the old veteran, Salazar started scanning the whole place for any evidence. She was particularly looking for something that could lead to the thief.
As she was inching closer to the kitchen, her nostrils got filled with a weird smell. It was weird but it was alarming. Salazar entered the kitchen because that is where the smell was coming from. What was the old man hiding?
Shocking Sight In The Kitchen
Keeping her fingers crossed, Salazar was slowly approaching the kitchen. In the meantime, Hicks was keeping a close watch over what Salazar was doing.
He knew that she was about to enter the kitchen so the old veteran followed in her footsteps. As soon as Salazar entered the kitchen, her mind was blown by the sight she witnessed.
Call For Backup
Salazar was taken aback by what she was inside the kitchen. She was so surprised that she ordered Hicks to stay away from the kitchen. After doing so, Salazar called for a backup.
Hicks still had no idea what was happening and he wanted to know the reason behind Salazar’s erratic behaviour. What did Salazar see in the kitchen that she had to call for a backup and remove Hicks from the scene?
Freezing Cold
Louis Hicks might have faced many anomalies in his life that spanned for more than 92 years, but the issues that he was facing in his old age were pretty ‘normal’. Take cold for example.
Louis Hicks was finding it hard to keep himself warm in that freezing cold. He tried every possible thing that he could to battle the weather but he was failing miserably.
Lack Of Resources
The major reason behind his failed attempts to keep himself warm was the lack of resources. He was an old man, there was only so much he could have done!
Louis Hicks might have been an old veteran who deserves all our love and respect but the bottom line is, he was poor as well. He didn’t have enough money to get himself a heater that could keep him warm.
No Heater
The 92-year-old veteran finally managed to source an old heater from the market. The heater accompanied the old man in his tough times but gave up soon enough.
As it turned out, one night the old heater blew up and burned a hole in the old man’s floor. It was a horrible sight ...
Call For Help
This is when Hicks decided to ask for help from some of his friends and relatives. But to his surprise, no one, absolutely no one came forward to help the old man.
He had to resort to a solution that shocked Salazar when she entered the kitchen. What had the old man done?
Frustrated Old Man
With each passing day, Hicks was getting more frustrated because the weather was turning nastier. It was tough, very tough!
The frustrated old man started thinking of alternative ways of keeping himself warm. Soon he found one.
Alternative Solution
When Salazar entered the old man’s kitchen, she found that the old man had placed a portable fan in front of his gas-powered range. She immediately recognized that the veteran was using his stove and oven to warm up his chilly home.
After turning on the kitchen appliance, the fan would blow the hot air into Louis Hicks’ living room. Of course, this was a huge safety concern for the officer and she knew that she had to do something about it.
Bring A Heater
Salazar contacted her coworkers at the Austin Police Department and informed them about the troubling sight she had found in the home. With the help of Austin Cops 4 Charities, St. David’s Foundation and Austin Police Association, Officer Salazar was able to get the veteran a heater — free of cost.
“That’s just what we do as police officers. I had realized that he was using the oven. I know that’s not safe. His gas is on,” Officer Salazar said.
Hicks’ Reaction
Officer Salazar delivered Hicks’ new heater, along with fellow Officer Bino Cadenas. When the two cops arrived to install the free electric fireplace, the elderly veteran was emotionally moved.
“I’ve never had no one to do nothing for me. After my mother passed away and left me to take care of my two sisters … nobody never did nothing to help me.”
Not The Only One
If you are thinking that Hicks is the only one who benefited from the ordeal, you are dead wrong. There's more to the story than you can imagine!
“He’s just offered me a lot of kindness, too, so to know that he’s also served. And now I’m able to serve and give back to people like him,” Officer Salazar said in an interview.
A Wishlist
The elderly veteran will now be able to sleep both warmly and safely, but their generosity didn’t end there. The Austin police created a wish list of Mr. Hicks’ other needs.
The community was quick to step up. Often someone would bring him coffee, lunch and some goodies from a local bakery.
GoFundMe Campaign
Austin Cops for Charities also revealed that they have about 10 heater units left to donate. In addition, a GoFundMe campaign was also started for Louis Hicks, raising over $10,000 in just two weeks’ time.
“It means everything. The things I’ve been trying to do since the ’40s. God is good.” Hicks said.