Colorado police officer provides outreach to community member who called for help

A first responder's life experience recently led to an opportunity to provide outreach when he met a community member who called for help. CBS News Colorado had the chance to speak with the officer and learn what it meant for him to give back and provide immediate support in someone's time of need. It also served as a personal watershed moment for him to reflect on his past and present.  

Aurora Officer Pablo Cervantes was working his normal patrol shift when he got a call to a disturbance at an apartment complex. He arrived to find a highly-animated woman with a big problem.

"When I arrived, the resident, she was clearly in distress," Cervantes told CBS Colorado ."The resident there had been overcharged on her rent. She was supposed to get some kind of discounts, so she had budgeted to only have a certain amount withdraw from her account, but they withdrew the entire amount."

She had been trying to work with the front office, which admitted it made a mistake but couldn't give her the money back right away. That left her in a tough situation.

"She takes medication that she depends on," Cervantes said. "She couldn't pay for the medication. She had no groceries. She couldn't pay any of any of her utility bills."

Worse yet, she said she had a teenager at home. So Officer Cervantes went into problem-solving mode. 

"She had no family or anybody that can help her. So that's when I go back to the manager. I was like, 'Do you have food vouchers? Is there vending machines? Is there any he can do for these folks?'"

But it was to no avail. That's when officer Cervantes's duty and desire to serve kicked in.

"She was out of options," Cervantes explained. "I just didn't feel right leaving."

He gave her the $20 he had in his wallet and took her grocery shopping on his dime. Because, as the child of immigrants, Officer Cervantes knows what it's like to be in her shoes.

"My parents immigrated with no education, no financial resources," Cervantes said. "They didn't even speak the language. My father worked two jobs. He worked for a dry-cleaning company, so he worked there during the day, and at night, he would clean the facility. So we would sleep in those little pushcarts while my parents cleaned the place."

So even though he has three kids at home, he decided to buy the woman the essentials.

"I know what it was to struggle," Cervantes said. "Having this opportunity, now that I can give back a little bit, you know, it makes you feel good."