Gracen said a group of older kids on bicycles came and grabbed a jar that contained $20.
When a 9-year-old called the cops after older kids made off with earnings from his lemonade stand, local authorities were happy to do what they could to help — including replacing the stolen money and supporting his small business.
On a hot Thursday afternoon, young Gracen Newbauer set up his lemonade stands near his home in Brooklyn Park, Minn.
"I would usually do it every summer," he told InsideEdition.com. "It’s a good way to get money because a lot of people come, especially when it's really hot."
Gracen said he spent nearly two weeks sitting outside for hours on end before raising $20.
That’s when he said a couple of older kids came by on their bicycles.
“One of them just took the glass and then they just started riding their bikes away,” Gracen recalled.
He talked to his dad, Mark Newbauer, who said he could call the police and ask them to come, only if they weren’t busy that afternoon.
Officer Alyssa Archer of the Brooklyn Park Police decided to answer the call, even if that area was no longer the district she worked in.
"She was aware of the family dynamics," police spokesperson Deputy Chief Mark Bruley told InsideEdition.com. "She’s been there in previous calls — the mother had passed away a few years ago, dad remarried and the kids were going through some troubles. Recognizing that, she took it upon herself."
After asking Gracen several questions related to the theft, she reached into her pocket, and handed him $20 to replace the money that was stolen.
Throughout the day, around a dozen officers who overheard the call also made quick stops at his lemonade stand and bought more than $50 in lemonade.
"Originally I thought, 'Well they might be too busy to help out a child who’s just doing a lemonade stand,'" Mark Newbauer said. “But they seemed genuinely caring, like this was something important to them."
Bruley explained that while officers can’t replace stolen cash every single time, he was extremely proud of Officer Archer and her colleagues supporting a young boy’s business.
“Somebody getting something stolen isn’t pretty uncommon, but the way the officers react is extraordinary,” Bruley said. “They felt like they wanted to give back.”
As the robbery remains under investigation, Gracen said he’ll now be more careful with leaving cash in plain sight.
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