By Darian Stevenson
syracuse.com
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A city police officer sitting in his patrol car Saturday in Thornden Park noticed a woman struggling up a hill in the cold, balancing a box of groceries on her head and stopping every few steps to rest.
“She had a box full of food on her head, and I could see her stopping every few steps,” Officer James Pastorello said. “I could tell she could really use some help.”
He paused writing up a stolen vehicle report and decided to offer a ride — a simple choice that turned an otherwise routine afternoon into an encounter both say they will not forget.
Rhea Holmes had just picked up food from a nearby pantry hosted by Vineyard Church. As she walked uphill, she noticed the patrol car, one she said she does not normally see parked there.
She was headed toward Oakwood Cemetery to visit the graves of her husband, who died five years ago, and her father, who died last summer. It was a mile away. The temperatures were in the upper 20s.
“I heard the Holy Spirit say the officer is going to offer you a ride,” said Holmes, 55, a lifelong Syracuse resident. “I froze. I turned like I was listening for the car, then kept walking. And then he pulled up.”
When Pastorello asked if she needed a ride, Holmes said she became overwhelmed with emotion and began to cry.
Holmes said the moment felt deeply personal, describing it as an answered prayer and a reminder that she was being seen and cared for — not as someone in trouble, but as someone in need of help.
When Pastorello heard where Holmes was going, he didn’t hesitate. He drove her there.
“There are very few places someone could be going that are more meaningful than visiting loved ones at a cemetery,” Pastorello said.
The short ride turned into a conversation about loss, faith and life in Syracuse. Holmes told the officer she has lived in the city for 55 years and walks to the cemetery often. She said the season has been especially difficult following her father’s death.
“It’s been tough,” Holmes said. “But that moment reminded me that there is still kindness, still love.”
Before parting ways, Holmes asked if they could take a photo together so she could remember the moment.
Holmes said the photo represents love and the importance of people helping one another, describing it as a symbol of connection between police and civilians, men and women, and the broader community.
Pastorello said moments like that stand out in a job often defined by urgency and crisis.
Pastorello said that much of his work involves seeing people in difficult situations. So being able to help someone in a calm moment — and have it genuinely appreciated — was especially meaningful.
Holmes said the encounter changed the way she views police officers.
The two spent about 10 minutes together before going their separate ways. They have spoken briefly since, and Holmes invited Pastorello to her church.
Both say the moment was brief but lasting, a reminder that small decisions, made quietly, can leave an imprint long after the moment has passed.
“He didn’t have to stop,” she said. “He saw the struggle, saw the need and took care of it. That impacted my life.”
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