Two Illinois teen boys received help from police and the community after their lemonade got robbed. One of the teen's dad could not help but be thankful for all the support and generosity of the people in Peoria.
Two men robbed the two boys
Peoria Police Department Officer Amy Dotson told CNN that on August 7, Jude and Tristan, both 13, were selling lemonade in Peoria. Suddenly, two men, one holding a gun, approached the teenage boys and stole their cash box that contained $30. After robbing the teens, the suspects fled on foot and no arrests have been made yet.
Jude's father, Nathan Peterson, told CNN that the boys were shocked and could not process what had happened after the robbery. Peterson almost blacked out when he got a call from the police. He heard that the kids are safe, but they "just got robbed." He tried to get there as fast as he could because he was so scared.
Dad saw police officers at the scene
Peterson saw the police officers had surrounded the lemonade stand when he arrived at the scene. The officers were buying lemonade for about $20 each cup.
Peterson was relieved because the police officers created a very protective environment for the teens. He said that the situation could have ended badly, but the officers helped to change the horrible experience into something beautiful. He told CNN that the robbery news quickly spread throughout Peoria.
People helped to raise money
The dad said that friends, neighbors, and strangers alike have all helped the boys raise $3,500 either via Facebook fundraisers or PayPal donations. He said that the boys received so much love many days in a row after the incident. He explained that the main experience the two boys got was all love and support.
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View this post on InstagramA post shared by Peoria Police (@peoria_police_department) on Aug 12, 2020 at 3:08pm PDT
Four days after the robbery, last Tuesday, Jude and Tristan opened their lemonade stand for business again. Dozens of customers came, including a police armadillo and 15 police cars. Peterson said that the police chief and officers talked to the boys after getting out of their cars and told them how much they support them.
He said that the boys felt safe and encouraged because the officers gave the kids a donation and took turns buying lemonade. The Peoria Police Department posted on Facebook a video of police cars lining up the street and buying lemonade from the two boys.
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Tristan told CNN that the subsequent response by the police and community stood out the most for him although the robbery was "surreal." He believes that there will be fewer robberies in Peoria because the officers were proactive about correcting the bad. He explained that he was determined to also give support and generosity to others because of what he has received.
