A Buffalo man will not be facing charges after breaking into a school to shelter 24 people during the winter storm, police officials confirmed on Thursday. Jay Whitley was left stranded on Christmas Eve when his truck got stuck in the snow, which was going to leave him with no option but to sleep inside the vehicle with two strangers. As temperatures continued to decrease, Jay began knocking on several people’s doors in hopes of securing proper shelter for the night, but despite offering $500, he was turned down by every family.
“It’s the only time in my life I actually thought I was going to die,” Jay told WBEN as he walked back to his car. Eventually, his car ran out of gas, which meant that if he didn’t find shelter soon, there was a great chance he was going to freeze to death. That’s when Jay took notice of a school roughly 700 feet from where he was parked. He explained, “I knew the power would be on, there would be heat in there and I was guaranteeing there would be food in there.”
Do you recognize “Merry Christmas Jay”? He pulled people from cars & sheltered them in a near by school.He left a note apologizing for the damage & use of the snow blower he used to make a path to the school.We want to thank “Jay” for his heroic actions that saved people’s lives. pic.twitter.com/iqdKitwEHa
— Cheektowaga Police (@CPDNYInfo) December 29, 2022
After breaking in through the entrance door, Jay alerted 25 other drivers who’d also been left stranded (several of which were disabled and elderly) to seek shelter in the building, where they not only had heating but food and drinks, yet only helping themselves to things they needed. As the storm gradually began to leave the area, Jay left a note at the building the following day apologizing for the break-in.
“To whomever it may concern, I’m terribly sorry about breaking the school window and for breaking in the kitchen,” he penned. “I had to do it to save everyone and get them shelter and food and a bathroom. Merry Christmas Jay.”
Considering that over 30 people had already died in the winter blizzard in New York, it goes without saying that had he not reacted in time, one — if not more — of the stranded people Jay saved could, too, have lost their lives.
GREAT Update pic.twitter.com/70DyHZt8D1
— George Brown (@georgebrownmem) December 30, 2022
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Schools officials, as well as law enforcement officers, reviewed the footage after it was safe to leave their homes and inspect the situation that unfolded at the building on Christmas Eve. But the Cheektowaga Police Department ended up requesting for assistance to find the man who left the note, simply to thank him for his thoughtful actions to protect his community.
It was further mentioned that Jay was not going to be faced with any charges, while sources added that the group who sheltered together for the night became so close during their short-lived time together that they were already planning for another get-together over the summer.