Citizens and local businesses give time, money and support in honor of the officer injured in pursuit of bank robber.
By Ward Lauren / Special to The Malibu Times
The colorful balloons, rocking music, food and refreshment tents gave it the air of a festive celebration, but it was a community’s sincere concern and appreciation for an injured deputy and his devotion to duty that brought an estimated 350 people to the blood drive and fundraiser at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on Friday.
Seventeen-year veteran LASD Deputy Jim Mulay faces a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation period from injuries he received when a bank robber allegedly rammed his car into Mulay’s motorcycle during his attempted apprehension. Mulay’s fellow officers planned a station barbecue tied to a regularly scheduled blood drive to raise money to help Mulay’s family defray the cost of his medical expenses.
But it quickly turned into something else.
“We’ve held fundraisers in the past but this was phenomenal,” said Lt. Debra Glafkides, who managed the function. “It started out very small, but when we got word out to the community we started hearing from restaurants and markets, ‘What do you need? What do you want? Just let us know. We’ll be there.’
“Lots of local residents have offered their houses for more fundraisers for Jim. Everybody’s just giving, giving, giving. The city of Malibu, the city government, has been absolutely wonderful. We couldn’t have asked for more and we didn’t expect this much.”
Business firms who contributed, Glafkides said, included Monrose Catering; The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills; Calamigos Ranch; La Paz Restaurant in Calabasas; Paradise Cove Beach Cafe; Agoura’s Famous Deli; Nobu Restaurant; Sunset Restaurant; D’Amore’s Pizza; Cheesecake Factory; Starbucks; Spruzzo’s Restaurant in Malibu; Smart Party Rents; Chuey’s Restaurant; Albertson’s Market; Gelson’s Market, and Pepsi Cola.
Jefferson Wagner of Zuma Jay’s surf shop in Malibu brought a white XXXXL T-shirt for Mulay’s law enforcement friends to sign. For each signature on the shirt, which was nearly covered with them by 4 p.m., Wagner pledged one dollar to the fund.
Blood donors began arriving a half-hour before the scheduled 11 a.m. start of the event, and soon the wait to be able to give blood stretched to two hours, said Gloria Ferra, evidence and property custodian at the station.
“They collected 125 bags of blood,” she said, “and then ran out of bags. They thought they might get 70 total.”
Residents from nearby communities who attended the event reflected the depth of sympathy that carried the day.
“I just wanted to honor Deputy Jim,” said Harry Dagget of the Calvary Community Church in Agoura. “I don’t know him, but these guys are protecting us, serving and they deserve to be thanked.”
Lelia Eaton of Thousand Oaks, who works at Spruzzo’s Restaurant at Zuma Beach, came to give blood. “Jim’s a customer of mine,” she said. “I’ve known a lot of the deputies for years. When it comes to something like this, I can’t wait to help. It’s unfortunate it takes something like Jim’s accident to bring people out, but when it happens they really come through.”
Calabasas resident Bob Singer, a volunteer at the Lost Hills Station, said, “I came to give blood, so I came early. They were out of blood bags by three o’clock, but that’s good.”
It isn’t unusual for deputies to rally around one of their own who has been injured, Glafkides said. Law enforcement and Fire Department personnel from Los Angeles, Burbank, Ventura and other cities also showed up in abundance. But for the citizenry and the community in general to react in such manner, it was if everyone just felt his pain, the lieutenant said.
“There have been other deputies from our station injured, of course,” she said, “but not to this extent. Jim will be in the hospital for a long, long time. Today is the first day, really, that his family is able to speak to him. The ventilation tube was removed, so he can breathe on his own, and he’s able to recognize his family and friends.”
Mulay, who is 37 and a father of two young children, has been stationed at Lost Hills for seven years and consequently has formed strong attachments there. His fellow officers have been at the hospital around the clock, Glafkides said; they figuratively haven’t left his side, indicative of the deep bonding that forms in law enforcement.
“Not too many jobs have this kind of bonding, although my husband is a fireman, and they do, too,” Glafkides said. “When you’re in the safety field and face things that most people don’t have to face every day, you put your life on the line. You have to be able to trust each other, and to do that you become very close.”
It was reported Monday that Mulay was out of intensive care unit.