AURORA — Two Aurora police officers are getting worldwide praise for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Last month, Officers Robert Little and Craig Hess helped an 86-year-old victim of a purse snatching in ways that aren’t in the job description.
Great-grandmother Julia Brecht was grocery shopping at the Super Target near Interstate 225 and East Alameda Avenue when her purse was snatched from her cart.
When Little and Hess arrived at the store, they helped cancel Brecht’s credit cards and then finished her grocery shopping.
“Officer Hess wanted to take a look at her grocery list. She didn’t want to give it to us. We talked her into giving it to us,” Little told 7News. “Anytime we’re walking around a grocery store, or any kind of store, in uniform, we’re going to get some looks. But it’s probably a little different when we’re pushing a grocery cart around.”
The two officers paid for the groceries.
Little drove Brecht home, while Hess watched her car to make sure the thief didn’t use her keys to steal her car. Hess later drove Brecht’s car back to her house using a spare set of keys.
The officers met her husband, who is blind.
That’s when Little decided to get a new lock and install it on her front door, so the thief couldn’t use her stolen keys to break in.
“They were just absolutely incredible,” Brecht told 7News. “They went far beyond what any person like me would expect.”
The original story about the officers has been picked up worldwide. The Aurora Police Department’s Facebook page is now getting kudos from around the world.
“We live in Israel, where this story is hitting social media,” said one Facebook post.
“We are reading about this in India — respect to you,” said another.
“Writing from Cheshire UK to commend your wonderful officers,” wrote someone from England.
“To the two awesome Aurora police officers, please teach our Philippine police officers be more like you,” read another comment.
