Drinking and driving landed Nereida Castillo in a Cameron County jail.
Castillo is a new mother of a 9-month-old baby boy.
She said she’s thankful to take part in the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department gift-giving tradition.
By helping wrap toys for needy children, Castillo was also able to pick a present for her baby boy.
“Since I can’t spend time with my son, it’s nice to help other children,” said Castillo.
But this year, Sheriff Omar Lucio said toy donations are down.
“We have maybe 500 right now,” said Lucio. “In the past, it’s double that amount.”
Sheriff Lucio is making a last minute push to get more gifts before they are delivered Wednesday.
In the meantime, Castillo said she’s pleased with a toy car she picked for her baby boy.
She said she only sees him once a week for 20 minutes but can’t wait for his next visit.