First responders in Riverside help save Christmas for one single mother and her sons after all their holiday gifts were stolen from their home during a burglary. Tony Shin reports for the NBC4 News on Dec. 27, 2022.
First responders are known for their heroic actions and for saving lives whenever they are needed but for Riverside police officers and firefighters the job was also about saving Christmas for a family who had all their presents stolen.
On Saturday while 14-year-old Kingston Clark and his 9-year-old brother and mom Aleeshia Clark were at a Christmas party, that's when thieves struck their home.
They discovered the break in when they got home later that night.
"We opened the door and realized that all our Christmas presents are gone and my mom had like a meltdown," Kingston said.
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The single mother of two called the Riverside police to report the theft.
After taking an initial report the officers said they would come back later with a few presents for the boys.
"I worked hard to make sure they had a good Christmas and even though it's not about gifts," Aleeshia said. "For them to have nothing Christmas morning was terrible."
Body camera footage shows video of when the officers returned.
The officers not only brought presents but they also brought much needed money for Aleeshia.
After giving everyone a warm hug Kingston gave the officers a firm handshake as they left to do work that only heroes do.
Speaking of heroes Riverside firefighters also heard about the left and brought more presents later that morning.
Aleeshia's family got so many gifts they game some to other kids who could use a little Christmas cheer.
This was all thanks to the Riverside first responders who went above and beyond the call of duty.
"We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we appreciate you guys more than words can ever express," Aleeshia said.
Aleeshia says she actually found a few of her stolen gifts inside the dumpster near her apartment.
