Young offender gets surprise birthday cake in Coquitlam RCMP cells

COQUITLAM – A weekend stint in a Coquitlam jail turned into a birthday celebration for a teenage offender.

The young offender with a significant criminal record was spending the night in jail last weekend and when he turned 15 at midnight, he got an unexpected gift.

Staff Sgt. Paul Vadik delivered a birthday cake to the young man and had a long conversation about making good life choices, according to an RCMP media release.

"This kid’s had a lot of struggle in his young life but kindness matters," Vadik said in the release. "Hopefully my big-brother-type talks with him will resonate."

Police said the birthday present went over well with the teenager. He was released from jail and he was given Vadik's contact information.

"Obviously this isn’t something we can do for everyone, but I want young people to understand that police aren’t their enemies," Vadik said. "Any time that young guy wants to turn his life around, I’ll be ready."

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