Connecticut police officer surprises boy with Adidas sneakers
Officer Joel Perez bought new shoes for a 7-year-old who was selling lemonade to pay for them.
An Ansonia police officer surprised a 7-year-old boy by returning to his lemonade stand with a new pair of Adidas sneakers, according to the Times of India.
The boy, Landen, had set up a stand outside his home in Connecticut to sell lemonade and cookies for $1 to save for blue school shoes.
Officer Joel Perez of the Ansonia Police Department stopped by the stand and learned about the boy's goal. After asking for the boy's shoe size, Perez returned a few hours later with the footwear.
Landen's grandmother, Wendelyn Narvaez, shared photographs of the encounter on social media, including an image of Perez crouching beside the boy with the shoebox.
Ansonia Police Chief Wayne Williams praised the gesture, stating that Perez is the kind of officer the department wanted to recruit.
Perez, who joined the department in March 2022 after serving as a military police officer, expressed gratitude on social media for the opportunity to serve his community.