Happiness turned to tragedy during a Los Angeles vacation with a father’s death that stranded a 13-year-old Illinois boy in California away from his mother in Illinois. 
 
 But a reserve LAPD officer came to the teen’s rescue by voluntarily giving the youth the officer’s Southwest Airline miles for a free flight home. 
 
 Juan Fernandez, 37, died about 12:15 p.m. Sunday, apparently of natural causes, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. 
 
 His teenage son had no family in Los Angeles, and there was an issue as to how he was going to get home to his mother in Illinois. 
 
 “Officers contacted Southwest Airlines to re-schedule the son’s return flight, because he had missed his earlier flight due to his father’s death and the investigation,” according to an LAPD statement. “Southwest Airlines was having difficulty re-scheduling the return flight.” 
 
 Reserve Officer Drew Terenzini heard what happened and, without hesitation, offered his Southwest Rapid Rewards airline mileage to ensure that the teenager made it home to his mother, according to the LAPD. 
 
 Southwest Airlines Tuesday reached out to the Fernandez family to assist with the transportation of Fernandez’s body and his personal effects, according to the police department. 
 
 Officers contacted the Southwest Airline Grief Unit, which assigned a flight attendant to assist the boy during his flight home. 
 
 — City News Service 
 
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 LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A reserve officer gave his airline reward miles to an Illinois boy whose father died Sunday while they were vacationing in Los Angeles. 
 
 The Los Angeles Police Department said Juan Fernandez, 37, apparently died of natural causes about 12:15 p.m. Sunday. 
 
 His 13-year-old son has no relatives in L.A. and had a problem flying back home to Illinois. 
 
 “Officers contacted Southwest Airlines to reschedule the son’s return flight, because he had missed his earlier flight due to his father’s death and the investigation,” according to an LAPD statement. “Southwest Airlines was having difficulty rescheduling the return flight.” 
 
 Without hesitation, reserve officer Drew Terenzini offered his Southwest Rapid Rewards airline mileage to the teen so he could fly home to his mother, according to the LAPD. 
 
 Officers contacted the Southwest Airline Grief Unit, which assigned a flight attendant to oversee the boy’s flight home. 
 
 Police also said Southwest Airlines Tuesday offered the family help with transporting Fernandez’s body home.
– It should have been a dream father-son vacation. Instead, a 13-year-old Illinois boy was left stranded alone in California when his 37-year-old dad died unexpected Sunday, reports My News LA. Because the boy had missed his scheduled flight home amid the chaos and had no relatives in the area, officers with the Los Angeles Police Department contacted Southwest Airlines on his behalf, but the airline "was having difficulty re-scheduling the return flight," per CBS Los Angeles. Thanks to one kindhearted officer, the boy is now home with his mom. Reserve LAPD officer Drew Terenzini gave up his own Southwest Rapid Rewards miles "to ensure the young man made it home (to) his mother that day," police say in a Facebook post. "Terenzini is a great example of what the LAPD Reserve Corps is all about." Southwest assigned a flight attendant to assist the boy during the flight, and has offered help in transporting his father's body back home. Juan Fernandez appears to have died of natural causes, say police. (Watch a cop pull a suicidal man to safety.)