The package in the gutter had some wrapping paper on it.
Det. Robert Barnes
Det. Robert Barnes pulled over and surmised the dinosaur and anatomy books must be gifts for a young child.
A call crackled over the radio. The mystery would have to wait. Barnes scooped the books into his patrol car and sped away.
Later, Det. Barnes returned to Brookhurst Road, looking for clues to where the books came from.
There, he found a card addressed to “Kailey” and a note from “Grandma Lou and Mike” wishing her a happy 10th birthday. It was dated March 30.
That’s two days from now, Det. Barnes thought.
“They were nice books and I wanted to see if I could get them to her before her birthday,” he said.
Det. Barnes has been a police officer for 18 years. An investigator in the Financial Crimes Unit, he spends most of his days unwinding complex schemes and trying to catch identity thieves.
He recently worked with the Secret Service on a bank fraud case involving hundreds of suspects. He also arrested a few “skinheads” on suspicion of using counterfeit money to purchase thousands of dollars in Target gift cards.
Due to budget cuts – the number of officers is down to 144 from 161 at the peak – investigators like Det. Barnes are required to spend about one shift a month patrolling the city.
Det. Barnes enjoys it.
And on March 28, it was the case of the lost birthday present that tested his investigative skills.
Kailey sent Det. Barnes a letter of appreciation and included this photo
With nothing more than three first names, he first searched a database for a nearby home with a Lou and a Mike listed as owners. He found one, and knocked on the door. But nobody was home.
In between radio calls, he stopped by a few schools. None had a 10-year-old named Kailey.
Finally, at the district headquarters, officials learned that there were three Kaileys in public schools in California with similar birthdays, including one in Corona.
Det. Barnes found a phone number and called.
Kailey’s mother answered, and told him the books were supposed to be a gift from her grandparents, Fullerton residents for more than 45 years.
Det. Barnes left the books at the front desk of the police department, and added some police department stickers, a stuffed bear and a note wishing Kailey a happy birthday.
“It was no big deal,” said Det. Barnes, deflecting attention.
Try telling that to his boss – or Kailey’s family.
Mike Sapp, Kailey’s grandfather, didn’t even realize they had lost the books.
“We were totally surprised when we got the call,” said Sapp, 62, who works at the Disneyland Resort. Sapp and Grandma Lou live about 100 yards from Brookhurst.
Did they take them out of the trunk of their car, put them on the roof and drive away?
Sapp isn’t sure.
What he does know is that it’s likely they would have unwittingly arrived at Kailey’s birthday party without a gift – if not for Det. Barnes.
As it was, Kailey had a great birthday – and she loved the Teddy Bear and police stickers. She wrote him a letter and included a photo of herself with the bear.
“Thanks for the great detective work. I got my presents today. That teddy bear was so soft,” she wrote.
Det. Barnes’ boss, Police Chief Dan Hughes, was equally impressed.
“This is another example of the exemplary work our officers perform daily, and it’s especially gratifying to hear from residents who appreciate a job well done.”
Grandma Lou also handwrote a letter to Det. Barnes: “I am still amazed you took time from your busy day to find a little girl just so she could get her birthday present from her grandparents.”
