 Cop realizes tire is heavier than expected, finds a lot more than air inside. He decided it was wise to let the deputy see this for himself. He didn't want to go any further into this without another person being present. It was a situation he didn't know how to handle. He was nervous and very curious, he didn't want to make things worse. He thought through his options and decided to wait and call the deputy. This was his safest option, but his curiosity was burning. Deputy Mike Williams had just gotten back from some well-deserved leave, and was looking forward to getting back to work. He loved his job. So when he arrived to work and saw that his patrol vehicle wasn't roadworthy anymore, he was disappointed. After all, this was his trusty steed. But it looked like a quick fix, so he rang the mechanic, oblivious to his oncoming or deal. Mike took his patrol vehicle into the mechanic's garage. He told the mechanic about one of the headlights that mysteriously wouldn't work and asked him if he could fix that too. Mike assumed the process would be quick and painless for both himself and the mechanic. But the real reason behind his damaged vehicle would send ripples of shock throughout the community. Mike expressed his eagerness to have his car repaired, so the mechanic immediately started to work on the deputy's vehicle. At first, everything seemed normal about the damage, but soon something very strange would be discovered. The mechanic dealt with all kinds of repairs for years. He was experienced and thought he'd seen it all. Well, not yet apparently. Sandra Rogers, a colleague officer of the deputy said in an interview, the mechanic began replacing the headlight and noticed that the wire had been chewed. But was it chewed or purposely frayed? There was a multitude of reasons as to why the wiring could become frayed. The mechanic thought it could have been a rat. Rats are known to get inside vehicles and cause costly damage to cars. But he was wrong. Unfazed, the mechanic continued to work on the headlight. Delving deeper inside the car, the mechanic was about to discover something he'd never seen before, especially from a cop's car. As he continued to work on the internals of the patrol car, he put his hand into the corner of the engine to pull around at the wiring, and then he froze. He started to fix the wiring when he saw a whole bunch of leaves, Officer Rogers recalled. Puzzled, the mechanic took a closer look at the leaves. Did this have something to do with the damaged headlight? In the meantime, Mike had continued his first day back on the job. He was so busy that his car never popped into his mind once. As far as he was concerned, there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Oh, how wrong he was. He was taking his lunch break when he received a call from the mechanic. Mike answered, expecting the car to be ready for collection, but there was a slight complication. Mike brow furrowed as the mechanic refused to delve into the details over the phone. Instead, he asked the deputy to come back as soon as possible. The mechanic decided it was wise to let the deputy see this for himself. He didn't want to go into this further without Mike, a person of law, being present. The mechanic was a little nervous and very curious, he didn't want to do any more work until Mike was there. Mike jumped into the other patrol vehicle he had been using for the day and headed towards the garage. His curiosity burning. Mike arrived and the mechanic tentatively went out to greet him. He told Mike that he was a bit alarmed by what he found in the car. Mike's concern grew. He thought that his car was in more disrepair than he originally thought. And he was right. Mike followed as the mechanic lead him to the patrol vehicle. The mechanic looked at Mike and gestured for him to take a look inside the hood of the vehicle, to the right side, above the wheel. Mike walked up to his beloved car and craned his neck over to the area in question. He cocked his head to the side once he noticed the leaves. Then he took a closer look and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Inside the nest of leaves were four baby squirrels, Officer Rogers said. The mechanic had never encountered anything like that. Mike shook his head in disbelief. It was clear that a mother squirrel had managed to squeeze into the wheel's arch, leaving behind a big surprise, for newborn squirrels, a first for this garage repair store. The mechanic didn't want to damage the baby squirrels or their nest, so he carefully removed the wheel from the car and extracted the nest, using Mike's help. They were all in perfect condition and sleeping soundly when they were removed by the mechanics, said Officer Rogers. But what would happen to the babies now? After the squirrels were removed from the vehicle, the deputy took them home with him. He wanted to try and reunite them with their mother. He put the sleeping baby squirrels and their nest in a box with a hot water bottle and put it in the exact spot that his squad car had been parked in before going to the mechanic. As the hours passed, he grew increasingly worried that he had made the wrong decision or the mother had left. But then he caught a glimpse of the mother squirrel coming to investigate the box. She just couldn't stay away from the cries of her hungry babies calling for her. She checked inside and then firmly gripped one baby by its neck and took it away with her, but she didn't come back. I believe once she'd picked the first one up and knew the others were safe in the box, she waited until it got dark to get the rest as she must not have felt safe moving them in daylight, he said. Sure enough, as the sunset, she returned for another, and then another until they were all back where they belonged. But why had she hidden them in his car? Apparently, this is a common occurrence with squirrels as they frequently make nests in cars due to the heat that they give off. One site explained, they're attracted by the warmth of the engine, which creates a cozy place for them to nestle. Squirrels create a fine mess once they bring in nuts, acorns, and nesting material. But this can lead to disastrous outcomes. The Canadian Wildlife Federation says that this is actually a very common issue in rural areas. And they've suggested that people could try to decrease the occurrences by making their car a less attractive nesting spot. One tip is to leave the car hood open so that the vehicle is cooler, and other options include using taste deterrence to repel squirrels from biting wires. A bitter apple spray is a harmless option that drives squirrels away. It is recommended that you get some advice from your mechanic and a veterinarian on what will work best at keeping squirrels away while avoiding damage to your car. And, most importantly, follow the great example that the deputy at McHenry County Sheriff's office said. Squirrels might be irritating at times, but the deputy at the MCSO showed a value that all police officers and all civilians should have, which is showing concern for other beings. If he hadn't found them in time or made sure they were returned to their mom, this story could have ended very differently. These baby squirrels no doubt appreciate what this officer did for them.