"It was gonna be real hard, looking for a car," she said. "Money can be an issue when you have kids. It was something I wasn't prepared for."

Officer Moody said he made sure the Lumina, which had 92,681 miles on it, had a full tank of gas. He also gave Ms. Robinson $300 to cover the rest of a loan she had taken out to replace brakes and rotors on her old car, which had more than 120,000 miles.

"I made a commitment to myself last year, when people were getting into the 'pay it forward' stuff," Officer Moody said. "I made a decision that, at least once a year, I was gonna do something big for someone I don't know, that could never pay me back."

Last Christmas he bought a homeless Moline man a new winter coat, hat, gloves and socks.

On Wednesday, Officer Moody learned Ms. Robinson only had liability insurance and couldn't recover the loss of her vehicle.

"She was very upset, obviously, crying," he said. "I thought, 'Oh my God, everything's come crashing down on her. She has no other means of transportation. She has two kids. She has a job, a 40-hour-a week job.'

"She was very respectful; that goes so far with me," Officer Moody said. "This was my opportunity to do something."