VIDEO: Ohio Deputy Surprises 9-Year-Old Running Lemonade Stand With Tablet
On Monday, Lake County (Ohio) Sheriff's Deputy Zach Ropos stopped by 9-year-old Gabrielle's lemonade stand while on patrol in Painesville, Ohio, about 30 miles northeast of Cleveland.
"I see a little girl come running up to my police car," Ropos, 22, told ABC News. "She hands me a glass, I hand her a few bucks. I asked her what she wanted to do with the money ... she said she'd get an iPad, to help with school and play games."
The deputy initially planned to give the girl his old tablet, but found that it wasn't working anymore. The next day, Ropos found a store that agreed to contribute to the cost of a new tablet with him. Later Tuesday, Ropos met up with Gabrielle and her mother.
"I talked to the little girl, gave her a speech about how courageous and admirable I think her efforts were to save up her money," Ropos said. "I asked her how much she saved up, and she said she only had a few dollars."
Gabrielle explained to Ropos that her mother's car ran out of gas, so the child gave up her hard-earned money to fill the tank.
"When she told me she gave the money to her mom ... that's when I almost started crying because of how great of a kid she really was," Ropos said.
Ropos handed over the tablet in a sweet moment captured on camera by a co-worker.
