Thief Destroys Teen's "Back The Blue" Lemonade Stand
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DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) - A thief tried to stop a 14-year-old Denton girl from a fundraiser for the families of fallen police officers.
Mia Cagle wanted to have a lemonade stand after she heard about the deaths of the officers in Dallas and Baton Rogue.
"I asked my Mom, 'can I please help them?' I just really wanted to help them" she says.
So last weekend, she did - complete with "Back The Blue" signs and a gallon of Country Time Lemonade. But when she stepped away for a minute, somebody stole her bench, broke her table and destroyed her signs. They didn't steal any money, but succeeded in taking some of her faith.
"I was just heartbroken, because these people who I'm helping needed that, and I was just in shock," she says.
Her family called Denton Police, but they never expected the reaction they received from the property crime detectives.
"We thought, well, what can we do to show our appreciation for her support? So we decided to replace her lemonade stand," says Detective Wade Laughlin with the Denton Police Department.
Using their own money, the detectives bought a new table, markers, posters boards, lemonade and cups. And Thursday - Mia's 14th birthday - she was back in business.
"The police are here to help the community whichever way we can," says Det. Laughlin.
"I'm like 'thank you, somebody has our back', " Mia says.
A life lesson in turning lemons into lemonade - with a little help from the blue.
"The situation that we're in is heartbreaking, but the good that comes and the people who jump out of the sidelines to help," says customer Meg Langlitz. "It's heartwarming."
Mia has to date raised more than $700. Denton Police say they have an open investigation into the theft.
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