It was 1995 or 1996. I was working nightshift patrol in NE Harris County (Aldine area for those familiar with Houston). It was probably 3 or 4 days before Christmas. I got a call of a domestic disturbance around midnight. We were shorthanded and I ended up going alone. There was a young lady and a couple kids crying. The lady had a bloody lip. The house had been destroyed inside. Food all over the walls, tables upside down, broken dishes.
Mamma told me her husband was drunk and had spent all the Christmas money. They got into an argument and he punched her, destroyed the house, and drove off a few minutes before I got there. I asked her where she thought he went and she said to the store to buy more beer. I took a report with all the details. She refused an ambulance. I spoke briefly to the kids (probably 4 year old girl and 10 year old boy). I told them that everything would be OK. But I really didn’t think it would. It was a bad scene but one that was very common, unfortunately.
I drove around the area and got lucky and found the husband’s truck parked in a dead end with the lights off. A few minutes later he was in handcuffs and on his way to jail for Assault Family Violence. For some reason he didn’t have much to say when I asked him if he still felt like punching somebody.
I checked on him Christmas Eve and he was still locked up with a pretty high bond (due to some prior arrests). It started bugging me that the kids had witnessed all that, that their dad was not going to be home for Christmas, and there was probably no money for gifts. The mom was from out of state and had no family in Texas except for the husband. So you can see where this is going.
We had a short roll call that night at the station in Humble and I put out a “Priority 1” request for some money to help some kids. No questions asked…..deputies started handing me cash. I ended up with a couple hundred bucks. Me and another guy went to Walgreens and some other all night store and bought a bunch of toys. We forgot the wrapping paper so most of them ended up inside evidence bags.
We were getting off at 6 AM, so around 5:30 AM we went to the house. It was dark and no lights were on. I wrote out a note on a steno pad that said, “Merry Christmas from Santa Claus. I always know who’s been good or bad!” We put all the gifts inside a covered porch area and snuck out of there.
I’ve always wondered what happened to those kids (there are several that I wonder about). I guess I hoped they got out of a bad situation, or the dad straightened up and became a great husband and father. But I’m not really that naïve. That incident is one of dozens that I witnessed over the years.
The purpose of the story is not to pat myself on the back….I just wanted to give an example of listening to the Holy Spirit/Christmas Spirit and encourage others to step away from the norm this season and let God work through you to help others. You will hear His voice when he calls. It may be the grocery store checkout line or just seeing someone walking down the street.
Mamma told me her husband was drunk and had spent all the Christmas money. They got into an argument and he punched her, destroyed the house, and drove off a few minutes before I got there. I asked her where she thought he went and she said to the store to buy more beer. I took a report with all the details. She refused an ambulance. I spoke briefly to the kids (probably 4 year old girl and 10 year old boy). I told them that everything would be OK. But I really didn’t think it would. It was a bad scene but one that was very common, unfortunately.
I drove around the area and got lucky and found the husband’s truck parked in a dead end with the lights off. A few minutes later he was in handcuffs and on his way to jail for Assault Family Violence. For some reason he didn’t have much to say when I asked him if he still felt like punching somebody.
I checked on him Christmas Eve and he was still locked up with a pretty high bond (due to some prior arrests). It started bugging me that the kids had witnessed all that, that their dad was not going to be home for Christmas, and there was probably no money for gifts. The mom was from out of state and had no family in Texas except for the husband. So you can see where this is going.
We had a short roll call that night at the station in Humble and I put out a “Priority 1” request for some money to help some kids. No questions asked…..deputies started handing me cash. I ended up with a couple hundred bucks. Me and another guy went to Walgreens and some other all night store and bought a bunch of toys. We forgot the wrapping paper so most of them ended up inside evidence bags.
We were getting off at 6 AM, so around 5:30 AM we went to the house. It was dark and no lights were on. I wrote out a note on a steno pad that said, “Merry Christmas from Santa Claus. I always know who’s been good or bad!” We put all the gifts inside a covered porch area and snuck out of there.
I’ve always wondered what happened to those kids (there are several that I wonder about). I guess I hoped they got out of a bad situation, or the dad straightened up and became a great husband and father. But I’m not really that naïve. That incident is one of dozens that I witnessed over the years.
The purpose of the story is not to pat myself on the back….I just wanted to give an example of listening to the Holy Spirit/Christmas Spirit and encourage others to step away from the norm this season and let God work through you to help others. You will hear His voice when he calls. It may be the grocery store checkout line or just seeing someone walking down the street.
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