Indiana officer buys kids Christmas gifts after father’s arrest
FLORA, Ind. (WLFI) – A Flora police officer didn’t let two children go without Christmas presents this year.
Officer Mark Thomas bought two children Christmas presents after he had to arrest their father on multiple warrants. He said every kid deserves Christmas magic, especially when times are hard.
“It’s not right for a kid to wake up on Christmas without a present,” Thomas said.
Thomas turned a Grinch of a situation into a cheerier one, and it all started a week before Christmas.
“I had received information that a subject was here in town visiting with someone and was wanted on warrants out of that county,” Thomas said.
When Thomas showed up to arrest the man, he saw two children who had to say goodbye to their dad. Thomas knew they would also be going without gifts this Christmas.
“The children need presents to open up for Christmas,” said Thomas. “I don’t think it’s right that they don’t have anything.”
So Thomas was on a mission to bring Christmas magic to kids he barely knew.
“I spoke with the individual, and he said that the one likes Spider-Man, couldn’t find Spider-Man,” Thomas said.
Instead, he got the boy a small truck and a Ninja Turtle alarm clock. For the girl, he bought a purse and markers.
Thomas said it wasn’t just the kids who needed a little more Christmas cheer this year. He needed some as well.
“We obviously had a tragedy here back in November,” Thomas said. “So we about lost an officer, a couple of them, and you think about those things a little more deeper.”
He said he and many others are still healing after a Flora house fire killed four young girls.
“When you think about the kids that lost their lives, and here you got two other kids that are impacted a totally different way. This is something I can control,” said Thomas.
It was an act that brought a smile to two little kids’ faces.
“We try to put a positive to the negatives that come into our lives,” said Thomas.
He told the kids’ mother, who now has custody, that the gifts could be from their dad.