Burglary detective Derek Pratico reported to a scene of a car robbery in late March to find a young woman who’d been robbed of recent purchases for her son's birthday that had been in her car.

Mom Of 3-Year-Old Burglarized

"She told me that she had received her tax refund and had just gone out to buy her son birthday presents and clothing for herself and her family," Pratico, 36, told People magazine of the Jacksonville, Fla., incident on March 27.

After taking down the woman’s story, Pratico returned to the police station to write and file a burglary report. Knowing that the 3-year-old boy would be left empty handed on his birthday because of the burglary, Pratico decided he had to do more than just file an incident report.

Cop Celebrates Toddler's B-Day

"I thought a young boy who was turning 3 deserved a birthday present," Pratico said. "So I went out and got him a toy police car and a Spider-Man birthday card. Then, I got him a birthday cake."

Pratico brought the gift and birthday cake to the family’s home on the toddler’s birthday. While the boy was the one receiving the gifts and attention, it was his mother, Practico noted, who seemed the most thankful for his generosity.

"She was so grateful. And it was a real weight off my shoulders,” the cop said. "When I showed up at their door she was very excited. She gave me a big hug and thanked me. It felt great."

Knowing that the mother’s wallet had been stolen as well, he’d given her a $100 gift card to a local grocery store.