Police officer who rescued baby abandoned in a box surprised after learning his identity 24 years later

Reunions are heartwarming events that revive priceless memories and emotions. Retired police lieutenant Gene Eyster witnessed one such reunion, per CBS News. Eyster recalled a scenario that took place over two decades ago when he was in the force. The officer, active in his duties, received a call about an abandoned baby. "That was one of the strangest calls I've ever had: 'We have a found baby in a box.' You always wonder, what happened?" he said.

Eyster had found the little boy in a cardboard box and following the SOPs, he left him at a hospital. The former officer rejoiced about a specific memory he still had, "He was born a couple of days before Christmas and placed in a box — and in my mind, that box was a manger. So, he became Baby Jesus," he remarked, per TODAY. "I went back with a teddy bear. Just a symbol to let everyone that walked past know that he was cared about," he recalled. Unfortunately, after that meeting, the duo never came across each other and Eyster could not find out how the kid grew up and made his way through life, until now.

Eyster was only informed that the boy was adopted, but nothing more. "I wondered, 'What did he turn out to be?' And God forbid, have I ever arrested him? Was he still alive?" the veteran said. Indeed, his question was answered in a heartwarmingly perfect way. Eyster received a phone call from another police officer about the boy. The officer asked whether the now 70-year-old retired lieutenant remembered the boy, to which Eyster agreed. "He goes, 'You're not going to believe this, but Baby Jesus is sitting next to me right now. He's my rookie,'" Eyster exclaimed.

In a chat, the young man mentioned that he was an abandoned baby at the department and the officer could not help but pull out the record only to find Eyster's name allotted to the boy's case. Matthew Hegedus-Stewart, now 24 and a rookie cop, all ready to walk in the footsteps of Eyster. He pleasantly said, "Full circle moment. That hit home. I can only imagine from his point of view." To add to this, Eyster was sure that this was more than a coincidence, given that he met Hegedus-Stewart around the same time as the tragic passing of his son Nick. "The timing couldn't have been any better, it helped to fill a void that I've had to deal with," he remarked.

"I see some mannerisms in Matt that remind me of my son — he's got the same grin, the same laugh, the same dark hair and stature," Eyster added.  He could not believe the multiple coincidences that took place just to reunite the two. "I mean, Matt completes his field training and randomly gets assigned to the same beat of the apartment complex where he was found. What are the odds?" he exclaimed. The retired lieutenant rests knowing that in 2000, he did well saving the then-infant, who is paying back by being an exceptional young man. "I've spoken to several of Matt's supervisors and they have all said the same thing: He's a kind officer, he's a good kid. His parents have done a wonderful job raising him," Eyster said.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 2, 2024. It has since been updated.