He appeared in front of the judge. He felt nervous, as he completely understood why he had to be there. It wasn’t really a big deal, but it still gave him goosebumps. Every father knows that you should never leave your daughter with a stranger, but he was only meant to be gone for a few minutes. What could’ve possibly happened to her, particularly in a courthouse, right? Finally, he walked out of the courtroom, desperate to see his little girl. That’s when he realized he had made a huge mistake.
Jose Moncayo was feeling anxious about getting a traffic ticket. He made his appearance at the Utah County Courthouse at the time his hearing was appointed for. Just as he was about to make his way in, the bailiff shared some surprising news that completely shattered him and made him question it all.
Jose and his little girl, Abi from Orem, Utah, were patiently waiting outside of the courtroom. Meanwhile, Abi found ways to entertain herself by running around the place as if it were a playground. She snooped around “secret” pathways, and uncontrollably ran up and down the halls. For a little kid like Abi, the courthouse was the most mysterious place she had ever visited, but little Abi would’ve never imagined that her thrilling adventure would continue somewhere else.
Jose knew he had to show up at court, so he called many babysitters, friends, his parents, and pretty much anyone he could think of that would be able to take care of his 2-year-old girl. Sadly, everyone was busy. He didn’t really worry, though. After all, she’s just a little girl. She can just sit down quietly in the courtroom right? As it turns out, he was very mistaken.
Being a parent is a pretty rewarding experience, but being the parent of a 2-year-old can be exhausting at times. They’re so curious about everything, that all they want to do is explore and venture out. Jose knew his daughter was an energetic little kid, and she always had a tough time falling asleep at night. She’d make weird requests every now and then. But nothing could’ve predicted what Jose ended up witnessing that day in the courtroom.
The little girl was used to asking her dad to do a bunch of crazy things. It ranged from something as innocent as getting her a warm glass of milk, to dancing a choreographed routine with her. She was like the Energizer bunny! That day at the courthouse, Jose wasn’t surprised to see Abi running down the halls, exploring every room she could find. It was finally his turn, and Jose had to find a way to calm her down, but nothing was working.
Surveillance video footage showed Abi and Jose waiting around in the hallway, as he sat there, waiting to be called. The little girl, who was all dressed in pink, was coming and going. Sometimes, she would venture on her own way further than Jose was comfortable with, so he had to walk up to her to bring her back. Abi didn’t sign up to be that bored, but one knight in shining armor was there to save the day!
Kevin Norris was the officer who was sitting around in front of Jose and his little girl. Being a father himself, he sympathized with Jose’s situation. Courtrooms are usually stressful, and for a little 2-year-old, they can be pretty boring as well. Having her running around uncontrollably wasn’t really helping the situation at all. That’s when Officer Norris decided to step in and restore our faith in humanity.
Right at that moment, it was time for Jose to step inside the courtroom. He held his daughter closely, and as he was making his way in, the bailiff informed him that children weren’t allowed inside. He stared at him, dumbfounded. He needed someone to lend him a hand quick, but he never imagined what was about to take place.
Officer Norris was pretty much an angel sent from above on that particular day. The second this father noticed another dad struggling, he offered to step in and babysit Abi. He had been watching Jose and his daughter for a while now, and felt like he needed to help. “I’ve got kids myself. I know what it is to have rambunctious kids, and its hard to take them anywhere,” he said. But when Jose came out of the courtroom, he witnessed something that completely caught him off guard.
At six-foot-six, Officer Norris was a pretty tall guy, so little Abi couldn’t help but look up and stare at him. She felt comforted by the tall knight in shining armor. He slowly held her by the hand and walked around the courthouse, looking for things to do. The officer wanted to entertain Abi as best as he could. Meanwhile, Jose was anxiously waiting for his appointment to be over. He needed to get out of the courtroom to see his child. He wondered if it was a good decision to leave his baby girl with a stranger. He needed to find out fast!
Officer Norris and little Abi kept using the courthouse as their very own playground. They could step inside some departments, others were off limits, which ended up making this whole experience that much fun for Abi. She walked around feeling like a princess who was building her very own castle. They went to visit other deputies in order to say hi, and they were greeted with treats and water. The officer knew Jose was close to finishing up, so they made their way back to wait for him. Officer Norris whipped out his cellphone, when suddenly, Jose came bursting through the door.
Officer Norris clearly adores kids, and he’s beyond devoted to them. He started looking for cartoons his little kids enjoyed so he could entertain Abi. They both stared at the phone for a while, when suddenly, Jose frantically came outside of the courtroom. The second he saw Abi and the officer, he started tearing up.
After all that exploring and running around, Abi was beat. She needed to recharge her batteries, so she found a comfortable position right next to her giant new friend. She leaned her head against him, using him as a pillow. When Jose came out to witness such an adorable moment, he choked up a little inside. There were no words that could express how grateful he was to Officer Norris. He wasn’t sure if it was a good decision to leave his little girl with a strange man, but clearly, he had made the right call.
Officer Norris said, “Kids love videos, they love movies, so we just threw some cartoons on my phone, and she was out before we knew it.” Abi’s new friend went above and beyond his service of duty, and he did it with a smile on his face. He was there to provide testimony, but he ended up helping out a fellow father in need. “We’re not just officers who are out there to arrest people,” he said. “We’re out there to make our community a better place.” Abi will never forget how this kind babysitter ended up making her day and her dad’s…right at a time when they both desperately needed someone to step in!