MALDEN (CBS) – It only took 15 minutes, but a small gesture from a Malden police officer was an unexpected Christmas gift for a little boy with autism who was having a very bad day.

Officer Steven Mulcahy first met five year old Cayden Carbone last week. He stopped into a Burger King on his break and Cayden was coming off a rough day at school.

“He is on the autism spectrum so it’s hard for him to overcome things that throw him off so he was in a tailspin,” says Cayden’s mother Sheryl Carbone. Cayden had been crying and when he walked up to Mulcahy, the officer knew something was wrong.

He took the time to talk with Cayden and then spent the rest of his break with the boy, letting him sit in the police cruiser.

Little did Mulcahy know how much this would mean to Cayden or his family.

“I think Cayden would not have gotten through Christmas had that interaction not occurred,” Sheryl said.

The two reunited Tuesday. Cayden and his mother visited the Malden Police Department. Officer Mulcahy and his new buddy exchanged hugs and gifts. And then, best of all for Cayden, he got to turn on the sirens in a brand new police cruiser.

Mulcahy and other Malden police officers recently went to training sessions on how to interact with people with special needs or mental disabilities.

He says he used the lessons to help forge a bond with Cayden who he calls “a friend for life.”

“Most of the time, people aren’t happy to see us but if we can make a friend, whether it’s Cayden, whether it’s anywhere in the course of your day, I think it’s a win just making that human touch,” Mulcahy said.

Cayden was overcome with excitement as he received a badge and a hat. He told WBZ that now he wants to be a policeman when he grows up.

His mother was so thrilled, her employer, Frito Lay made a large donation to area food pantries in Officer Mulcahy’s name.

Officer Mulcahy says these types of interactions don’t always get a lot of attention, but they are the bread and butter of what he and other officers do. He hopes Cayden’s story is just another step toward building links in his community.

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