Homeless Old Lady Takes Down 3 Thieves at Once after They Threaten Little Boy's Life — Story of the Day

An elderly homeless woman who frequently visits a park confronts three men who were threatening a boy on his way home from school and saves his life with the help of her "special" friends.

Olivia Roberts and her husband Edward were overjoyed when their son Joel was born, and they had big plans for him. Olivia and Edward were both orphans who grew up in foster care, so they knew what it was like to grow up without love and warmth.

But unfortunately, fate was not on their side, and Olivia lost Edward to a heart attack just one year after Joel was born. Following that, she brought up their son on her own while working multiple jobs to support him.

Six-year-old Joel was a kind-hearted boy who never hesitated to help anyone in need. For instance, despite being attacked by a pack of stray dogs when he was four and being terrified of them ever since, he loved animals and wanted to help them. So whenever he saw a hungry dog, he'd leave it something to eat a safe distance away and then walk away.

One afternoon, Joel was on his way back from school when he saw a frail woman sitting in the park, surrounded by dogs. The woman was in no better shape than the dogs, and she appeared equally unkempt and weak.

Joel also noticed she was feeding something to the dogs from a small black plastic bag. He kept staring at her and wanted to help her, but he was afraid to approach her because of the dogs.

As a result, he waited for the dogs to leave, but a few minutes later, he noticed the old lady getting up from her seat and walking towards the park's exit, with the dogs following her. Joel bolted, terrified that the dogs would attack him.

The next day, he took his lunch from school and left it where he'd seen the old woman the day before. Then he crept behind a bush and waited for her to arrive.

When the old lady saw the food, she was perplexed, and she looked around to see who had left it there. When she saw no one approaching, she opened it and shared it with the dogs who had followed her. Joel was delighted to assist her and the dogs, and he began leaving lunch for them every day.

One day, when he arrived home from school, he learned from the neighbors that his mother had been rushed to the hospital. Mrs. Hill, their next-door neighbor, had made him lunch before leaving for her shift at the city hospital and left him a note saying she'd see him in the evening.

Little Jeol felt alone because he didn't have anyone at home that day, so he left soon after and was wandering the streets when he saw the old woman again in the park surrounded by dogs.

Unfortunately, he didn't have anything to offer her that day. He sat on a bench away from her, deep in thought about his mother's illness. In fact, the boy was so preoccupied that he didn't notice when the elderly lady approached him and took a seat beside him.

"Hello, my name is Teresa," she said, introducing herself. "Aren't you the one who leaves food for me every day?"

Joel was terrified when he saw the dogs staring at him. He rose from his seat, intending to flee, but Teresa stopped him. "Don't be afraid. They won't hurt you," she assured, patting one of the dogs on the head.

"Are you sure?" Joel inquired hesitantly. "What if they bite me?"

Teresa smiled. "I have spent a lot of time with them and know them well. They will not harm you in any way. They're almost like my friends."

When Teresa said that, Joel relaxed and gently patted one of the dogs. Surprisingly, the dog started licking him out of affection, and they all surrounded him, motioning for him to pat them.

"How did you find out it was me leaving food for you?" Joel inquired, happily playing with the dogs.

"Well," Teresa said. "I often noticed you leaving the park after I arrive, and one day I also saw you leaving food on the seat where I usually sit, so I knew it was you. But what are you doing here at this time? Aren't you supposed to be home?"

"There's no one at home," Joel moaned. "Mommy is ill. She was taken to the hospital. I'm not sure when she'll return."

"Oh dear," Teresa gasped. "Did you go see your mother at the hospital?"

"No," Joel said, dejected. "I'm scared to go alone. And I don't know where the hospital is. I just know the name."

"Why don't we go see your mother?" Teresa proposed, offering the boy a pack of ginger cookies. "We can meet her and share some cookies with her as well. I'll wait for you outside, and after you've finished meeting her, we can go back together."

"Really? Will you take me there?"

"Yes, dear. What's your name, by the way?"

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," Joel giggled. "I'm Joel - Joel Roberts."

"That's a lovely name. So shall we leave now, Joel?" Teresa asked. The boy nodded his tiny head and joined her to see his mother. "Do you live here?" Joel asked as they were leaving the park.

"Yes, Joel," Teresa said. "I'm homeless, and this park feels like home to me."

When Joel saw Olivia at the hospital, the sick woman was shocked. "Joel, honey, what are you doing here alone?"

Joel told her about meeting Teresa and how she had accompanied him and given him cookies. Olivia was moved by the old lady's generosity and asked her son to thank the lady for her assistance.

However, she was concerned about her 6-year-old son being alone with a homeless woman. So she advised Joel not to approach her alone or when there was no one else in the park. She also asked Mrs. Hill to keep a closer eye on him until she is discharged and returns home.

However, as time went on, Joel and Teresa became good friends. Joel frequently stopped by the park before returning home, and with the money that Olivia had given him, he bought food for Teresa and the dogs that often came to the park with her.

One day, Joel had just left the park after meeting Teresa when the old woman noticed three robust men following him. They appeared to be in their late 40s and were quite large and muscular.

Teresa watched them leave shortly after Joel had left. She had also seen them staring at her and Joel when they were feeding the dogs for several days now. "Are they following him on purpose?" the elderly lady pondered, concerned that Joel was in danger.

So she left the park with the dogs and saw one of the men approaching Joel from behind and forcing him into a nearby alley. Teresa knew she had to act quickly before it was too late.

She dashed over to the alley and unleashed the dogs towards the men, and as one of them turned around upon hearing the dogs bark, they began running to save themselves. Little Joel ran to Teresa while the dogs jumped on the three men, preventing them from fleeing.

"Don't you dare run away," Teresa warned them. "Otherwise, I'll order them to bite you!" Then she instructed Joel to go to the park and request that someone call the police.

When the cops arrived, they arrested the three men, who admitted to an intent to rob the boy's house. It turned out they'd been following Joel for about a week after discovering he was alone at home.

They had planned to rob his house, kidnap him, and then demand money from his mother, but Teresa prevented all of this from happening. The officers thanked Teresa for helping the boy and later accompanied him home.

When Olivia learned about what happened, she was filled with gratitude towards Teressa. As a result, when she was discharged, the first thing she did was visit Teresa and thank her.

"I can't express how much you helped me, Teressa," the woman said. "If it weren't for you, Joel could have been in danger." And later, she helped the old homeless woman to rent a house.

Teresa didn't want to leave the dogs behind, so later, Joel helped her build dog houses for them. Teresa began knitting hats and gloves to sell for a living, and the once-homeless woman who had lost her family and home in a fire now had a job, shelter, and even people who cared for her.

What can we learn from this story?

• Be kind and help others in need. Because of Joel's kindness towards Teresa and the dogs, she in turn helped save him from the kidnappers.
• Dogs are indeed a man's best friend. The stray dogs Teresa fed and cared for helped her save Joel's life.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a young widow who heard her late husband knock from inside his coffin at his funeral ceremony.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.