Villa Park police surprise 9-year-old with new bike after thief steals birthday present

VILLA PARK, Ill. (WGN) — The Villa Park Police Department (VPPD) stepped up after a thief spoiled a 9-year-old boy’s birthday.

Iker Ochoa was riding to a local dollar store on a brand-new bicycle Tuesday — a gift from his parents for his ninth birthday.

“I put it somewhere and then I went in and when I came out, it wasn’t just there,” Ochoa said. “I thought just like, my birthday was ruined and that I wasn’t going to get a bike.”

After the unexpected theft, Ochoa ran home and told his dad about what had happened, who then filed a police report.

“We looked everywhere for the bike and obviously, there was no hope of finding it,” said VPPD’s Daniel Schultz.

But it wasn’t long until VPPD found a solution. Within a few hours, officers from the department surprised Ochoa with a new bicycle and a lock to keep it safe.

Now, a smile sits where a frown used to on Ochoa’s face as he zooms around on his sleek new ride, all thanks to the generosity of a few fathers on the force.

“We’re all family guys,” Schultz said. “We all got kids. We know how important it is.”

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