When 25-year-old Hayden Carlo left his house that day, he took his chances in going about his business, on the assumption that nobody would notice what he was doing. He didn’t make it too far before a Plano cop singled him out of the line of cars, noticing what was wrong with his ride. However, when questioned about it, Carlo gave the cop a startling admission, which led to much more than he expected.
The unidentified officer noticed that Carlo hadn’t renewed his registration. The annoying task is a necessary evil, only made worse by making you a moving target for police, who can and will give you a fine at any time for it. This was the case for Carlo, who got caught just a day past due on his registration, Fox 4 reported.
When he got up to Carlo’s window, the cop only wanted to know one thing. He asked the guy why he hadn’t renewed his registration. The driver decided in that moment to be brutally honest with the officer, telling him that he simply didn’t have the money and that it was “either feed my kids or get my registration done,” the driver admitted, being forthright about feeding his kids instead of fulfilling this legal obligation.
The cop didn’t say much as he walked away from the father’s car. When he returned, he cited him for the traffic violation, but there was something else inside the ticket that took Carlo by complete surprise. Out of his own pocket, the anonymous officer gave the guy a $100 bill to resolve his registration and use what was left over for anything else his family needs.
While other officers around the country have recently been recognized for similar acts, this officer wants to remain anonymous. His coworkers plan to honor him anyway.
“As he told me, this man needed it more than him, and it was the right thing to do,” says fellow officer and department spokesperson David Tilley.
Carlo was able to update the registrations on his car and his wife’s car with the money. He’s now driving to a new job and providing for his growing family, after a gift from the last person he would have expected to help during tough times.
“He helped me out when I needed it and I appreciate that. I’ll never forget that man,” Carlo said to KTVT. “It definitely restored my faith in God.”
