James Schweikhard moved from Oklahoma to Colorado with his 10-year-old daughter in search of a fresh start.
“I packed up everything that we own in the truck and … we just drove here,” the father said. “It was more of a risk staying in Oklahoma. I couldn’t get a job for anything, couldn’t get a place to live.”
Because of his struggle with finding a job in Oklahoma, Schweikhard and his daughter were forced to live in his Suburban. However, the vehicle had broken down after they arrived in Colorado, so they were sleeping in the SUV, while the father had to walk his daughter to school every day.
The girl’s school became concerned that the father and daughter were living in a car, so they called local police to investigate. Lakewood Police Officer James Butler went to the scene to find out for himself.
“I saw them looking at my truck, I said ‘Officers, what is going on?'” Schweikhard told KUSA. “[He] said ‘We’re trying to help you.’ I said, ‘Ok, I can accept that.'”
