Cop, autistic girl form unique bond

A letter from a 7-year-old girl is not a typical correspondence for the Maricopa Police Department.

But Mara Fortunato is not typical, either.

Her acquaintance with a police officer developed into a friendship that was remarkable in Mara’s experience.

Mara is high-functioning autistic. She was paired with Officer Arielle Cohen for the Shop with a Cop event in December.

“I was very nervous having my daughter take part,” Mara’s mother Karen Fortunato said. She said social situations can be challenging for her daughter. She was unsure if her daughter would ask for help if she needed a drink or the bathroom during the event at Walmart.

Cohen came to their home to tell Mara she had been chosen and they would be together. Karen said having the two female officers at the door to talk to her before the event made a big difference. The morning of Shop with a Cop, “Mara saw Arielle and knew her face, so she was a bit comforted,” Fortunato said.

A morning shopping with a cop was not the end of it.

When the family came home Christmas night, they found a note Cohen left for Mara.

“That was the one thing that touched me and our family,” Fortunato said. “To know Arielle thought of Mara enough to stop by was huge.”

She said her daughter has a special connection to Cohen now.

“People who know Mara know the challenge it is to win her approval. Whatever Arielle said to Mara made an impact,” Fortunato said.

Mara has sent text messages to Cohen, who responds when she is able.

Following a discussion with her mother about recognizing people who do good things, Mara decided on her own to write a letter to Chief Steve Stahl about Cohen. Friday after school, they dropped off the note at police headquarters.