4-year-old boy surprised with birthday visit from Colton Police Department officers
A 4-year-old Colton boy was treated to the ultimate surprise for his birthday after his aunt was able to bring his real-life heroes, the Colton Police Department, to his home for a visit.
Elyssa Shaw called the non-emergency dispatch line back on Jan. 31 with an unusual request to surprise her nephew Ezra.
"My nephew is having a birthday party today, it's a police theme. He's four and he loves Colton police specifically, I was just wondering if there is anybody patrolling, if they would be able to stop by just to say hi?" Shaw can be heard asking in audio of her call to the department.
She says that she took a chance by calling, unsure if such a request would get swept under the rug.
"Honestly, I was nervous. What if they were like, 'Why are you calling? We have real stuff to do,'" Shaw said. "He always likes to drive by the police station. He likes to follow them when he sees the cars, or he'll ask to."
Ezra's parents, Luis and Salina, say that his love for law enforcement began when he was a baby, showcasing a series of photos showing him dressed up as an officer.
"He loves that they go after the bad guys, so after that, that was it, his love for police," Salina Galicia said.
Ezra did his own showcasing when meeting with CBS LA, presenting his entire collection of toy police cars, his detective notebook and his beloved police hat.
"We try to teach him to have that respect for law enforcement," Luis Galicia said.
Jillian Nunez, with the Colton PD said that their calls that day just happened to be manageable.
"We asked our sergeant for permission to attend, and we were able to make that happen," Nunez said.
She wasn't the only one who showed up, though, with more than half a dozen uniformed officers arriving to wish Ezra a happy birthday. Nunez said that they gave him a toy patrol car and a coloring book, along with taking several photos and videos with the birthday boy.
"It just further establishes that community relationship and we were able to make that day even more special for him," she said.
Ezra's parents say that the moment is one that will be memorable for some time to come, further reinforcing his dreams of one day joining the law enforcement community.
