7-year-old sets out to deliver superhero cards to every NYC cop

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BROOKLYN — A 7-year-old superhero has taken on a super task to honor those he views as superhuman.

His mission: hand deliver superhero-themed thank-you cards to all 34,500 uniformed police officers in New York City, ABC News reports.

Since last December, Zachary Becerra has spent every Saturday visiting different precincts and units across the city. So far, he's hit about 74, with the help of his mom Rosa Ortiz.

Zachary's mission was inspired by tragedy. His heart was broken when he heard about the shooting deaths of officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu last year. The two men were ambushed in their patrol car at close range by Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who committed suicide shortly after.


They take pictures; they talk to him; they give him advice. They tell him he's the hero. It's been wonderful.

–Rosa Ortiz, mom


"He was distraught," Ortiz told ABC News. "He couldn't understand why that happened, and I had to sit down and explain to him that there are good people, and sometimes bad things happen."

Zachary decided he wanted to do something to make sure police officers knew that they were superheroes in his eyes, and thus the card delivery service was born. Ortiz said she didn't expect it to become a weekly tradition, but to meet Zachary's lofty goal, it kind of has to be.

But Ortiz says, Zachary's superheroes are giving him the strength he needs to tackle pretty much anything.

"A lot of officers ask him to sign his name on the cards and sometimes we've gone to precincts where he draws something for them to put on the bulletin board," Ortiz said. "They take pictures; they talk to him; they give him advice. They tell him he's the hero. It's been wonderful."

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