Barbara Gusse, a Brooklyn Center resident and grandmother of nine, has a passion for bird watching.
This hobby, which often finds her observing the avian life in her yard through binoculars, took an unexpected turn one day.
Little did she know, her love for bird watching would play a crucial role in saving a child’s life and bringing a family back together.
It all started on a seemingly ordinary day.
After spending some time with her feathered friends in the yard, Gusse received an Amber Alert on her phone at around 2:15 p.m.
The alert was urgent, asking everyone to keep an eye out for a white Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Inside the vehicle was a 1-year-old boy, and the car had been stolen two hours earlier in north Minneapolis.
Gusse recalled seeing a white Jeep parked across the street at the Cross of Glory Lutheran Church earlier that day.
“It was running, you could see the exhaust because it was so cold,” she recounted to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
At the time, she hadn’t thought much of it.
After noticing the Jeep and then going back inside, Gusse called her daughter, Katye Stolp.
They were chatting when the Amber Alert notification buzzed on their phones.
“We were just talking and the Amber Alert came on and buzzed on all our phones,” Stolp said.
Without hesitation, Gusse ended the call, grabbed her binoculars, and went to check the Jeep’s license plate.
To her shock, it matched the one mentioned in the Amber Alert. “My heart went to my feet,” Gusse said.
“I was shaking so bad I couldn’t hold a cup.”
Acting quickly, Gusse called the police.
Thanks to her prompt response, the authorities found the boy in the car and reunited him with his parents.
Gusse expressed her relief and happiness that the child was found safe and unharmed.
“I’m just happy because I could hear that little thing crying when they opened the door,” she told WCCO CBS Minnesota, tears in her eyes.
“I’m just glad he’s OK.”
The Amber Alert had been triggered by a car theft.
The boy’s mother had briefly gone back into her house after strapping her son into the car seat.
When she returned, both her child and the car were gone.
Even 24 hours after the event, Gusse was still deeply moved by the experience.
The Minneapolis Police Department praised Gusse for her vigilance and quick thinking.
Both were crucial in preventing potential harm to the child due to the cold temperatures.
“This is really exemplary of what happens when the community assists and we are eternally grateful for the 911 caller advising us of where the vehicle was,” said Minneapolis Police Department Spokesperson John Elder.
“The fact that she was alert and willing to reach out is beyond appreciated.”
The child, found all smiles by the police, was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
No arrests had been made at the time, but the suspect faced charges of auto theft and kidnapping. Gusse, however, humbly downplayed her heroics.
“Honey, I’m no hero. I’m just a grandmother,” she said, embodying the selfless spirit of her actions.
Watch the video below to hear more about this unbelievable story!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Source: YouTube – WCCO – CBS Minnesota, Minnesota Star Tribune, ABC 6 News
