Reportar MensajeA chance meeting between an El Paso police officer and an 83-year-old homeless man resulted in a story that's warmed the hearts of anyone who's heard it. Thursday night as senior Charles Holder wandered into Lowe's Home Improvement store in his thin jacket and torn sneakers it was obvious immediately he needed help in the freezing temperatures. Employees asked if he needed help and he asked them if he could stay until close because he had nowhere else to go.
He hadn't eaten in days, and was teary-eyed when he told employees he was on a diet. A customer offered him a $20 bill, but he refused. They were able to find him a shelter to take him in for the night but transportation was a problem. When Officer Joe Flores arrived to help, Charles thought he was in trouble.
'I am not harming anyone,' he told a cashier, according to KFOX14. 'I don't want to go to jail or the hospital for being here. I'm just cold.' But Flores spoke to him with a warm, respectful tone, and asked about his shoe size. Charles said he didn't know because he only wore what he found. Flores then bought him a pair of heavy-duty leather boots, along with a three-pair package of socks. Crying, Charles said he didn't have anything to pay him back with. Instead of money he handed over a small plastic bag of treats he'd been saving, which employees speculated was to be his dinner. 'They helped me,' Charles told reporters. 'They're a great bunch of people; they're very humane.' Charles said he could not express his gratitude. 'They believe in helping people, or somebody else,' Charles said. 'That's the way we gotta all be.' Flore's superiors said he had no obligation to help as he did, but that his actions were commendable.
