In mid-November, police officer Bruce Pierson was sent to check on a person acting suspicious near parked cars in Temecula, California, just outside the Promenade Mall.
When he arrived, he found a young woman named Franki. She was homeless and told Officer Pierson that she was just moving around between cars to find some shade. She had no shoes, and her feet were dirty and covered in callouses. She explained that her last pair of shoes had worn out two months ago.
Franki was only 18 years old and had been living on the streets since she was 12. She also shared that she had suffered a miscarriage the year before.
Officer Pierson invited Franki to come inside the mall with him. He took her to a Payless Shoe Store and bought her a pair of shoes.
While they were shopping, another woman noticed what the officer was doing and asked if she could buy Franki another pair of shoes. She did.
Then, a shopper named Joshuah Rounds saw what was happening. He gave the officer $10 to help pay for the shoes and took pictures of the moment. He shared the photos on Facebook, and within 48 hours, they had been shared over 100,000 times.
Franki was overwhelmed with emotion as strangers showed her kindness. She left the store with two pairs of shoes, socks, a scarf, and a beanie.
Later, Officer Pierson’s wife packed sweaters, warm clothes, and a blanket for Franki. But the officer didn’t stop there—he also connected her with an agency that could help reunite her with her family in Colorado. If everything worked out, she would be home for the holidays for the first time in six years.
This was one time when looking suspicious turned out to be a good thing.
📸 Photo credit: Joshuah Rounds