Escondido police officers used their own money to help repair a school garden tended to by elementary school children, found vandalized on Sept. 11.
Officers were first called to Conway Elementary School on Sunday after school staff members found the small garden on school property vandalized.
An unknown suspect had smashed potted plants with the children's painted hand prints on them, broke branches off some trees and threw a shopping cart into the garden.
The garden is tended to by the school children, and staff members told officers how upset the children would be if they found the garden vandalized on Monday morning.
A group of unidentified Escondido Police officers said they knew they had to do something when they heard how upset the children would be.
Officers went to Home Depot and bought a $50 gift card with their own money and gave it to the school, hoping it could be used to make the necessary repairs before the kids returned to school.
"It angers me that someone would vandalize a garden for young children," said Police Chief Craig Carter in a statement. "I am proud of my officer's selfless gesture to right this wrong."
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The incident is under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call the department's Anonymous Tip Line at (760) 743-8477.
