Desperate San Jacinto 911 call leads to special, pre-Christmas delivery

Filed Under: Random Acts of Kindness

SAN JACINTO, Calif., — With overnight temperatures dipping this week into the high 30s and low 40s, a recent 911 call from an elderly San Jacinto man – left “freezing in his home” after his heater broke and he could not afford to replace it – had a happy, and warm, ending after local deputies brought him a new space heater to help him get through the cold nights.

LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:

Perris teen ID’d after deadly hit and run rollover crash

Perris murder investigation continuing – Victim, 29, ID’d

Spotted wandering alone in Palm Springs, young boy reunited with family

Riverside woman, 55, killed, juvenile seriously injured, in Jurupa Valley crash

Murrieta man accused of killing father & fleeing to Mexico nabbed at border crossing

Hemet felon sentenced to six years after accidental shooting that left woman, 75, dead

In a Saturday, Dec 18 social media post, San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station shared details about the special, pre-Christmas delivery, saying, “Today Riverside Sheriff Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call from Mr. John Seamen. Mr. Seamen’s space heater broke, he could not afford to replace it, and was freezing in his home.”

With donations gathered by dispatchers and deputies from the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station, one elderly San Jacinto man is enjoying much warmer nights thanks to the donation of a space heater large enough to keep him warm through the holidays. San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station photos

Although law enforcement agencies don’t get many such calls, compassionate dispatchers contacted Deputy Jensen at the San Jacinto station and asked if there was anything the station could do to help.

Jensen and the dispatchers immediately began an impromptu fundraiser, and with help from donations made by other dispatchers and deputies, Jensen was able to go out and purchase a new space heater large enough to keep Mr. Seamen nice and toasty warm throughout the holidays.

They later delivered the heater to the grateful elder, who was “very thankful” for the early Christmas gift.

SEE ALSO – AN RCNS SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SERIES: Ongoing RivCo search intensifies as elusive elves spotted in neighboring Imperial County

To report other Random Acts of Kindness, contact Trevor Montgomery at Riverside County News Source (RCNS).

---

---

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.