Louis C. Hicks is a 92-year-old WWII veteran and a resident of Austin. For elderly people like Louis, it’s hard to maintain a comfortable life, even with a pension or social security check, you can’t cover all costs.
Lately, Louis found himself depending on his stove to keep his house warm during the recent frigid spell hitting the United States.
So to save the situation, police officers along with members of the community all came together to help Louis overcome the hard winter season.
When Mr. Hicks discovered tools missing from his shed, he called the police to report the theft. Upon arriving at the veteran’s home, the police found the elderly man was dangerously relying on a gas stove to keep his home — and himself — warm.
Officer Chastity Salazar responded to the scene to take the initial police report. She would return not too long after, but not to follow up on the tool theft. She brought Mr. Hicks a free heater. Upon learning Mr. Hicks had no heat, Salazar informed her colleagues, and they chipped in to purchase a heater.
“That’s just what we do as police officers,” Salazar said, according to KVUE. “I had realized that he’s using the oven. I know that’s not safe. His gas is on.”
As it turns out, the veteran did not need to rely solely upon himself to stay warm. He received some unexpected assistance from the police. The police, too, were not expected to help in the way they did. Events played out surprisingly.
Neither Salazar nor her colleagues had to perform such a good deed. They did so out of the generosity of their hearts. Now, Louis C. Hicks can stay warm in a safer way.
