PHOENIX (AZFamily/Gray News) – Two Phoenix police officers responded to reports of a scam that left a father penniless days before his 2-year-old daughter’s birthday – then used their own money to buy her presents, moving him to tears.
Officers Alessandro Figuccio and Tanner Schnieder, partners at the Phoenix Police Department’s Cactus Park Precinct, have worked together for about a year. Their paths to policing were different: Figuccio said becoming an officer was a childhood dream, while Schnieder was a truck driver before he decided to change careers.
About two months ago, the officers reviewed their call log and saw a call that stood out. A man who said he worked for DoorDash got a call that appeared to come from the company, Figuccio said. The caller told him his account had been deactivated and directed him to enter a code at a kiosk to reactivate it.
Soon after, the man’s last paycheck was gone.
Officers step in to help
Figuccio and Schnieder went to the man’s house to take his report on the scam, and after hearing his story, they decided to do something more for him. The interaction was caught on their body-worn cameras.
The man told the officers he had just paid his rent and car payment and had nothing left, Figuccio said. His 2-year-old daughter’s birthday was the next day.
“He had his daughter sitting there in a high chair, eating, and he’s just starting to break down to us,” Schneider said. “I look in, see his daughter, and then, it hits me.”
The officers drove to a store, where they filled a cart with clothes and toys for the toddler. They also picked out a small pink bicycle with tassels for her to ride when she gets older.
“We just started throwing stuff in the cart,” Schnieder said. “We’re like, dude, if I was his daughter, I’d be happy as heck.”
The officers paid for the items themselves and brought them back to the family’s home. Schnieder said the father began to cry when he saw the bicycle. He then gave the officers a hug.
“It’s rewarding, especially since I knew he had no money left,” Figuccio said.
For Schnieder, the gesture was personal. He said his family had been in a difficult position before, and he wanted to help someone who needed it.
The officers’ response was a small act of kindness in a difficult moment and another way to serve their community together.
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